Snow Leopard
by Cyri's Alter Ego
Summary: Set after Sunrise. Poppyfrost's kits are coming, and everyone in the Clan is excited at the birth. But as Snowkit and Leopardkit age, they start to notice that Jayfeather, Lionstar - and even Poppyfrost - are staring at them. Why? What have they done...?
1. Allegiances

**Ah, the dawn of a new fic. Always a happy time.**

**Well, this story's been lingering in my head since I read Bluestar's Prophecy, begging to be written. But, unfortunately, it had to join the queue of fanfics-wanting-me-to-write-them. And now, rejoice! I'm so impatient that I'm writing this, _The Holly and the Ivy_, and _(Insert number here) Loves So Strong_! So, welcome to Snow Leopard!**

**

* * *

**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Warriors. If I did, I wouldn't have written twelve FANfics. On FANfiction. Get it? I am a FAN.**

**

* * *

**

ThunderClan

LEADER: Lionstar - golden tabby tom with amber eyes

DEPUTY: Whitewing - white she-cat with green eyes

MEDICINE CAT: Jayfeather - grey tabby tom with blue eyes

WARRIORS:

Squirrelflight - dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Cloudtail - long-haired white tom with blue eyes  
Apprentice - Dovepaw

Brackenfur - golden brown tabby tom

Sorreltail - tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

Brightheart - white she-cat with ginger patches

Spiderleg - long-limbed black tom with a brown underbelly and amber eyes  
Apprentice - Ivypaw

Birchfall - light brown tabby tom  
Apprentice - Bumblepaw

Mousewhisker - grey-and-white tom  
Apprentice - Blossompaw

Cinderheart - grey tabby she-cat  
Apprentice - Briarpaw

Foxleap - reddish tabby tom

Icecloud - white she-cat

Millie - striped grey tabby she-cat, former kittypet

Roseflower - dark cream she-cat

Toadspots - black-and-white tom

APPRENTICES:

Briarpaw - dark brown she-cat

Bumblepaw - very pale grey tom with black stripes

Blossompaw - pale brown she-cat with a dark stripe along her spine

Dovepaw - fluffy grey she-cat

Ivypaw - tabby-and-white she-cat

QUEENS:

Ferncloud - pale grey (with darker flecks) she-cat with green eyes, mother of Dustpelt's kits; Emberkit (dark ginger tom) and Beechkit (brown tabby tom)

Poppyfrost - tortoiseshell she-cat, mother of Foxleap's kits; Leopardkit (black she-kit with green eyes) and Snowkit (white she-kit with blue eyes)

Hazeltail - small grey-and-white she-cat, mother of Lionstar's kits; Willowkit (tawny-furred she-kit, amber eyes) Mistykit (mottled brown she-cat with yellow eyes) and Stormkit (long-furred dark grey tom)

ELDERS:

Dustpelt - dark brown tabby tom

Sandstorm - pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

ShadowClan

LEADER: Russetstar - dark ginger she-cat

DEPUTY: Rowanclaw - ginger tom

MEDICINE CAT: Littlecloud - very small tabby tom  
Apprentice - Flamefur

WARRIORS:

Smokefoot - black tom

Ivytail - black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat  
Apprentice - Sparrowpaw

Toadfoot - dark brown tom  
Apprentice - Darkpaw

Crowfrost - black-and-white tom

Kinkfur - tabby she-cat with fur that sticks out at all angles  
Apprentice - Mintpaw

Ratscar - brown tom with a long scar across his back

Snaketail - dark brown tom with a tabby striped tail  
Apprentice - Larkpaw

Tawnypelt - tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes  
Apprentice - Brindlepaw

Tigerheart - dark brown tabby tom

Dawnbreeze - cream-furred she-cat

Scorchfire - dark grey tom

Redstorm - mottled brown and ginger tom

Owlflight - light brown tabby tom

Shrewfur - grey she-cat with black feet

APPRENTICES:

Flamefur - ginger tom, apprentice to the medicine cat

Darkpaw - long-furred black tom with green eyes

Mintpaw - tortoiseshell she-cat

Larkpaw - dark grey she-cat

Sparrowpaw - russet brown tom

Brindlepaw - tortoiseshell she-cat

QUEENS:

Snowbird - pure white she-cat, mother of Smokefoot's kits; Mothkit (brown tabby she-kit), Cloudkit (dark grey tom with paler patches) and Silverkit (silver she-kit)

ELDERS:

Cedarheart - dark grey tom

Oakfur - small brown tom

WindClan

LEADER: Onestar - brown tabby tom

DEPUTY: Ashfoot - elderly grey she-cat

MEDICINE CAT: Kestrelfeather - mottled grey tom

WARRIORS:

Crowfeather - dark grey tom

Owlwhisker - light brown tabby tom  
Apprentice - Poppypaw

Whitetail - small white she-cat

Nightcloud - black she-cat

Gorsetail - very pale grey-and-white cat with blue eyes  
Apprentice - Moonpaw

Weaselfur - ginger tom with white paws

Harespring - brown and white tom

Leaftail - dark tabby tom with amber eyes  
Apprentice - Brownpaw

Willowclaw - grey she-cat

Antpelt - brown tom with one black ear

Emberfoot - grey tom with two dark paws

Breezepelt - black tom with amber eyes  
Apprentice - Tallpaw

Thistleleaf - long-haired white tom

Sedgefoot - light brown tabby she-cat

Swallowflight - dark grey she-cat

Sunspot - tortoiseshell she-cat with large white mark on her forehead

APPRENTICES:

Poppypaw - black she-cat with yellow eyes

Moonpaw - pale grey tom with darker stripes

Brownpaw - brown tom

Tallpaw - brown-and-white tom with very long back legs

QUEENS:

Dewspots - spotted grey tabby she-cat, mother of Leaftail's kits; Volekit (pale brown tom) and Mistkit (black she-kit)

Heathertail - light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Breezepelt's kits; Mousekit (brown tabby tom), Thrushkit (dark brown she-kit) and Ravenkit (black she-kit)

ELDERS:

Tornear - tabby tom

Webfoot - dark grey tabby tom

RiverClan

LEADER: Mistystar - grey she-cat with blue eyes

DEPUTY: Beechfur - light brown tom  
Apprentice - Pricklepaw

MEDICINE CAT: Willowshine - grey tabby she-cat

WARRIORS:

Voletooth - small brown tabby tom

Reedwhisker - black tom

Rippletail - dark grey tabby tom  
Apprentice - Grasspaw

Greymist - pale grey tabby she-cat

Dapplenose - mottled grey she-cat  
Apprentice - Beetlepaw

Pouncetail - ginger-and-white tom

Mintfur - light grey tabby tom

Otterheart - dark brown she-cat

Pinefur - very short-haired tabby she-cat

Rainstorm - mottled blue-grey tom  
Apprentice - Petalpaw

Duskfur - brown tabby she-cat

Minnowstream - dark grey she-cat

Pebblefur - mottled grey tom

Mallowtail - light brown tabby tom

Sneezenose - grey-and-white tom

Nettlepelt - dark brown tabby tom

Robinleaf - tortoiseshell-and-white tom

Icewing - white she-cat with blue eyes

QUEENS:

Copperwhisker - dark ginger she-cat, mother of Robinleaf's kits; Dustkit (pale grey tom, pale blue eyes) and Smokekit (dark grey she-kit, dark blue eyes)

ELDERS:

Swallowtail - dark tabby she-cat

Stonestream - grey tom

* * *

**Well, there you have it! Before we go any further, I just want to explain the deaths/lineages/mentors ect. of some cats.**

**DEATHS  
Firestar - loses seventh life in battle with RiverClan, eighth life due to greencough, and last saving Squirrelflight from an angry badger  
Brambleclaw - dies in battle with RiverClan  
Leafpool (possible) - ran away from Clan, was not seen again  
Thornclaw - killed by an invading ShadowClan patrol  
Greystripe - fell out of Ancient Oak trying to get Willowpaw, leg injuries too bad for him to survive  
Berrynose - consumed by grief by Honeyfern's death, kills himself by eating deathberries in order to be with her**

**LINEAGES  
Leopardpaw & Snowpaw - daughters of Poppyfrost and Foxleap  
Willowpaw, Mistypaw & Stormpaw - daughters and son of Hazeltail and Lionstar**

**MENTORS  
Roseflower - mentored by Hazeltail  
Toadspots - mentored by Sorreltail  
Briarpaw - mentored by Cinderheart, because I thought it would be meaningful for her to be mentored by the sister of the cat who saved her life**


	2. Prologue

**Thanks to XStormcloudX, xXPantheraXx, feathercloud13, Moonstreak1, Neko Nials, Princess of Othrys, LarkroseLukos, and Spottedtalon for reviewing the allegiances!! Wow! I have eight reviews already ^.^**

**This is the prologue... and it's a little longer than my usual prologues.**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: Of all the cats in my allegiances, I only own Willowkit, Stormkit, Mistykit, Emberkit, Beechkit, Darkpaw, Mintpaw, Larkpaw, Sparrowpaw, Brindlepaw, Mothkit, Cloudkit, Silverkit, Poppypaw, Moonpaw, Brownpaw, Tallpaw, Volekit, Mistkit, Mousekit, Thrushkit, Ravenkit, Dustkit, and Smokekit. And I don't own the concept of Warriors, either.**

**

* * *

**

Prologue

"Foxleap!" called the dark grey tom, his mew low. His sightless blue eyes glinted, reflecting the cold glitter of the silver stars as he emerged from the tangle of thorns. "Foxleap!"

"What is it?" The reddish-brown tom's paws drummed impatiently on the moonlit ground. "Can I come in yet?"

The grey tom nodded. "She wants to see you. She's alright, but keep your voice low, for StarClan's sake. She's still exhausted."

"Okay, okay," hissed the other cat, before following the grey tom through the bramble barrier.

He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the half-gloom.

"Foxleap!"

The reddish tom's heart soared as he recognized the mew of the cat he loved most.

"Poppyfrost..." he murmured as he made out the tortoiseshell shape of his mate, who was lying down in her nest. And nuzzling into her side were...

"Congratulations," she whispered, gazing up at him with soft, loving eyes. "You have two beautiful daughters." She gave each kit - one snow-white, the other raven-black - a tender lick on the head.

The tomcat hardly dared breathe as he fixed his eyes on the two tiny kits - _my kin_, he thought with a rush of pride. "They're perfect..."

From a dark corner of the nursery, the dark grey tom gave an undignified grunt, as though to announce his presence. He emerged from the shadows and dropped a bundle of dark green, bitter-smelling leaves at the tortoiseshell's paws.

"Eat," he instructed her. "It'll help your milk come better, so the kits will get more nourishment."

The she-cat accepted the herbs gratefully, bending her head to lap them up.

"Thank you for looking after Poppyfrost, Jayfeather," murmured the red-brown tom into his ear. "You're a wonderful medicine cat."

The medicine cat gave an embarrassed snort.

"It wasn't that great," he mumbled. "I've delivered kits many times before."

Dipping his head to the new mother, he backed out of the den.

The reddish tom gave a small sigh of contentment as he took in the sight of his offspring for a few heartbeats.

His mate broke the silence. "Foxleap... I was wondering... if we could maybe... call the white kit... Snowkit?"

Her amber eyes gleamed so hopefully that Foxleap could not possibly refuse. "Of course," he purred. "How about Leopardkit for the black-furred one?"

"That's perfect with me." Poppyfrost replied, gazing fondly down at her two daughters. "I just know they'll be fantastic warriors."

***

Poppyfrost awoke with a start. Something was wrong.

Snowkit and Leopardkit were burrowing into their nest, writhing and flailing their limbs as though they were in great pain. Their unopened eyes were screwed up, and their tiny pink mouths gaped wide in silent 'O' shapes, exposing miniature white teeth.

At once, Poppyfrost's eyes flew wide with shock. Gently, she attempted to pick up the two newborns by the scruffs of their necks.

_Thank StarClan they're so small_, she thought, trying not to panic. What could be wrong with her daughters?

She padded swiftly across the still-dark camp to Jayfeather's den. A few claws of pre-dawn light filtered through the trees.

Placing the two kits on the bare nest where patients usually slept over night, she turned to the slumbering medicine cat and prodded him with her front paw.

"Jayfeather! Jayfeather, wake up!"

It didn't take much to wake the medicine cat and soon he was pressing his paw to the two she-kits' tiny bodies. Poppyfrost hovered nearby anxiously.

"Are they-" started the tortoiseshell in a whisper, but she was cut off as both kits let out a shrill wail. Jayfeather withdrew his paw quickly, as though he had been burned, and Poppyfrost sucked in her breath sharply. The screech lasted no more than a heartbeat but it made every hair on Poppyfrost's pelt tingle with unease. She had never heard a more bloodcurdling cry.

And, just as suddenly... They spoke.

And it wasn't in the tiny squeak of kits, either. They spoke in the voices of fully matured warriors.

"Tonight, the snow leopard returned from the clawhold of darkness..." Leopardkit howled, so loudly Poppyfrost was surprised it didn't send every cat in the Clan running.

"...against our will..." shrieked Snowkit.

"Two, their lives broken and scattered by betrayal..."

"...of the ones they hold dearest..."

"...live again..."

"But beware of why..."

"...for no starry ancestors will protect them..."

"...exposed mentally to terrible dangers..."

"We contact you the only way we can..."

"...Goodbye."

A ringing silence followed. Both kits stopped wriggling at once, and their breathing became regular.

"A... prophecy...?" breathed Poppyfrost finally, shaken for once.

Jayfeather shook his head, still staring at the kits.

"That was no prophecy," he whispered. "That was... a desperate plea for help."


	3. One

**Cool! I have more reviews! Awesomeness! Thanks, XStormcloudX, xXPantheraXx, Frenzied Warrior, Willowpool, icethroat21, Lunarhowl, Neko Nials, flyingchicken, Moonstreak1, LarkroseLukos, Spottedflames, Ryuchie, and Spottedtalon!**

**Here is the first chapter! Enjoy...**

**

* * *

**

**DISCLAIMER: Owning Warriors is a prestigious honour. Only the four Erins enjoy this privilege. =grumbles=**

**

* * *

**

One

"Willowkit, from this moment you shall be known as Willowpaw. Your mentor will be Foxleap. Foxleap, pass on your boundless enthusiasm to this apprentice."

Snowkit stared enviously as the tawny-furred she-cat touched noses with her new mentor.

"Stormkit, from this moment you shall be known as Stormpaw. Your mentor will be Sorreltail. Sorreltail, you have already mentored several apprentices, as well as being the mother of Cinderheart and Poppyfrost, who are credits to their Clan. Pass on your wisdom to this apprentice."

Snowkit sighed, and glanced at her sister, who was taking in the ceremony with an equally awed expression.

"Can't wait 'til it's our turn," she mewed, nodding towards the newly named Mistypaw, who was staring at her mentor, Jayfeather, with a kind of awe.

"Me neither," agreed Leopardkit. "Although I don't know what Mistykit- I mean, Misty_paw - _sees in being a medicine cat."

Snowkit wrinkled her tiny nose. "I know! All smelly herbs, and no fighting or hunting!"

"We're _definitely_ going to be warriors, right?"

"The best ones _ever_!" agreed Snowkit enthusiastically. She stared longingly over at the apprentice den, her expression changing. "I wish we were apprentices _now_..." she added wistfully.

"We've still got to wait a whole moon..." Leopardkit sighed.

"Come on, now, Leopardkit. It's not so bad."

Both kits turned at the voice of Ferncloud, the oldest nursery queen. Her mate, Dustpelt, had recently moved to the elders' den. Ferncloud had already decided that after their latest litter, Emberkit and Beechkit, became apprentices, she would give up and retire too.

("And about time!" Leopardkit had muttered. "Sandstorm told me that Ferncloud and Dustpelt've had four litters already!")

Now Ferncloud was wearing an expression of sympathy. "It's only a moon to go. And as kits, you can do whatever you want, instead of cleaning out the elders' den."

Snowkit shuffled her paws, wishing her mother would return from the hunting trip she had offered to go on. She had always found the 'kindly' Ferncloud terrifying - especially when she wore that... _gushing_ expression.

Leopardkit, on the other hand, wasn't convinced. "We can't go to Gatherings," she muttered.

Snowkit swung her tail around and swiftly clamped it into her sister's mouth, but luckily Ferncloud was happily oblivious to any mishaps between the two. She began grooming her two kits, probably satisfied that she had 'appeased' Poppyfrost's kits.

Suddenly, pain exploded in Snowkit's tail.

"Hey!" she swiped her tail away from the black-furred kit's jaws. Leopardkit bared her glistening white teeth in mock battle.

"And I'll bite your tail again if you do that!" she teased.

"That wasn't funny!" protested Snowkit. "You _hurt_."

Leopardkit was spared an answer as an excited tawny shape barrelled into her, followed by a dark grey one and a mottled brown one.

"Oof!" Leopardkit tried to scramble up under the weight of her three former littermates.

Willowpaw shot to her feet at once. "Hi!" Her mew was high-pitched with excitement.

"What was that for?" Leopardkit shook out her fur crossly. "You could have seriously injured someone!"

Snowkit snorted. "Says the cat that bites her sister's tail!"

"It was necessary for self-defence!" Leopardkit's whiskers quivered with laughter.

"Can you _believe _I got Sorreltail for my mentor?" interrupted Stormpaw. He sounded elated, and Snowkit couldn't surpress a twinge of jealousy.

"I know!" Snowkit sighed enviously. "She was born in the Time Of Bluestar!"

"Wow." Leopardkit breathed, drawing out the word into three syllables. "She must be really _old_!"

"I'm not getting any younger, but I can still give a kit like you a job like cleaning out Dustpelt's den!"

Leopardkit squeaked and almost toppled over in her embarrassment. "S-s-sorry, Sorreltail!"

The tortoiseshell she-cat's words were stern, but her eyes were warm. "And my apprentice shouldn't be chattering when there's work to be done."

"What are we going to do?" Stormpaw didn't seem put out.

"Well, first I'm going to show you-"

"Let's go!" Stormpaw dashed out of camp before his mentor could utter another word.

"Wait!" called Sorreltail. She shook her head. "That tom needs to run the itch out of his paws," she mewed, before setting off after him.

Snowkit gazed enviously after the tom. It wasn't just his mentor that she desired - she longed with a passion to be an apprentice already.

"I guess I'd better get going too," Willowpaw mewed. "Foxleap will want me to help him... well, do apprentice stuff. Bye, Snowkit! Bye, Leopardkit!"

"Say hello to Foxleap for us!" called Leopardkit after her. The reddish-brown tom was their father.

Willowpaw flicked her tail to show that she understood.

Now only Mistypaw was left. The mottled brown she-cat had stood by quietly saying nothing the whole time. She had always been quiet, even in the nursery - Snowkit wasn't surprised that she had chosen the solitary path of a medicine cat. She always seemed too fragile for the rough life of a warrior.

"I think I'll leave, too," she mewed quickly. "I think I hear Jayfeather calling for me."

And she hurried out quickly before either kit could utter a word.

"I didn't hear anything." Snowkit wore a puzzled expression as she gazed after her former denmate. The mottled brown she-cat had always been a source of confusion for her.

But now Leopardkit was swiping at Snowkit's tail impatiently, already having forgotten Mistypaw. "Come on, come on!"

"...What?" Snowkit shook her white-furred head to clear it.

"I _said_," mewed Leopardkit, rolling her eyes, but her whiskers were quivering with anticipation. "We're going to follow Willowpaw and Stormpaw!"


	4. Two

**Thank to XStormcloudX, xXPantheraXx, flyingchicken, icethroat21, Moonstreak1, Willowpool, Spottedtalon, Ryuchie, and Spottedflames for reviewing!**

**Right, well truthfully, this story is a little cliché for the first few chapters, but it will get better. I swear. Well, at least I hope... Just stay with me!**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned the world, I would ban flamers. =looks around, flamers are still there= Guess I don't even own Warriors, then.**

* * *

Two

"No!" wailed Snowkit, unsheathing her claws and digging them into the ground. "I refuse!"

Leopardkit bit down on her sister's scruff and tried to drag the smaller kit along. "Come _on_, it's just a bit of fun. Do you want to go out of camp or not?"

"Or not!" Snowkit crouched down on the ground, squeezing her blue eyes shut. "Mama's told us all sorts of stories about Kits Who Leave Camp, remember? Remember Snowkit? He got killed by a hawk! He was carried away! And he shares my name! It's a curse, Leopardkit! It's a curse! I don't want to be carried off by a hawk! I want to be a warrior!"

"Don't be mousebrained." Leopardkit rolled her eyes, watching her cowering sister. In her opinion, Snowkit was over-reacting. "Besides, Snowkit didn't _leave camp _when he died. He was _in_ the camp."

"That just makes it _worse_!"

"And he was deaf! So he couldn't hear the hawk!"

"How do you know I'm not deaf?"

Leopardkit stared at her sister in disbelief for a few heartbeats, then gave a snort of laughter. "I'm not even going to_ answer _that one."

"I guess." Snowkit relaxed slightly to give a purr of laughter. Then she twitched one grey ear-tip. Her blue eyes grew serious again. "But I'm not leaving camp. Poppyfrost said. She'll be cross with us."

"You're no fun." Leopardkit gave a huff of annoyance, the laughter fading from her expression.

"But we might get our apprentice ceremony put off if we do that..." Snowkit still looked worried.

Leopardkit said nothing, but surreptitiously flicked her tail towards Cloudtail and Dovepaw, who were passing. When they were gone, she continued.

"Easy." Her eyes danced. "We just won't get caught."

***

"I swear to StarClan, you are the most boring kit that ever lived..." Leopardkit grumbled, her eyes darting around as she checked that no cat was coming her way - or even glancing in her direction.

"I won't tell any cat where you've gone," Snowkit promised, copying her sister. "I think you're all clear."

Leopardkit swung around to face Snowkit. "You swear by StarClan?"

Snowkit nodded. "I swear by StarClan."

"Thank you," whispered Leopardkit. She licked Snowkit's flank briefly, and then disappeared through the dirtplace.

Leopardkit's heart was thudding. It felt as though she were leaving on a perilous journey that would put many lives at stake, or something...

She had never left camp before. It also felt... strange... being without Snowkit.

Leopardkit was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she jumped when a leaf crunched under the weight of her paw. She looked down at the brown specimen, light kindling in her eyes. She was out of camp! She was really, truly, out of camp!

"Snowkit doesn't know what she's missing!" squealed Leopardkit, batting at a leaf as it twirled down from a tree.

_I guess that's why they call it leaf-fall_, she thought, watching a few more dry leaves break loose from the branches and flutter down around her. One landed on Leopardkit's nose, and she sneezed.

_This is great! I'm really out of camp, and there are so many things to smell, and I can see the whole of ThunderClan territory, and I'm going to catch a mouse, and I'll explore the whole territory all by myself, and I love the sound of the leaves under my paws, and, and..._

She lost her trail of thought as she picked up a familiar scent.

_Jayfeather!_

She didn't want to get found out of camp by the grumpy medicine cat. Quick as a flash of lightning, Leopardkit ducked behind a hawthorn bush. She peeped out from her hiding place, suddenly realising that it wouldn't make a difference if she hid. Jayfeather was blind, after all. However, she wasn't about to give up her place of escape - especially now she could smell another scent on the breeze.

_Lionstar!_

The two very worst cats to get caught by. The unforgiving medicine cat - and ThunderClan's stern-looking leader! Leopardkit crouched lower in her bush, wishing that she had listened to Snowkit and stayed safe in the nursery.

The voices were getting closer. Leopardkit could almost distinguish what they were saying now.

"...sure that's what happened?" Lionstar was asking.

"Positive." Jayfeather nodded. "Ask Poppyfrost. She was there, too."

_Poppyfrost? _Leopardkit twitched her ears so that she could hear better. _What's my mother got to do with anything?_

Suddenly, Jayfeather stopped. He inhaled a lungful of air, his nose quivering.

Leopardkit's eyes widened, and her heart stopped, as Jayfeather announced, "I smell a kit."


	5. Three

**Thanks to XStormcloudX, icethroat21, Neko Nials, rhoanna, Emberheart0, Spottedtalon, Moonstreak1, Willowpool for reviewing!**

**Next up - chapter three!**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Warriors, I would faint from sheer happiness. =looks around= I haven't fainted! Darn...**

* * *

Three

Snowkit scraped her claws on the leaf-fall ground in frustration.

_Where's Leopardkit? Why isn't she back yet?_

"Snowkit!"

The white kit spun around at the sound of her mother's voice - but for once, she was not pleased to see the tortoiseshell queen.

"Oh, hi!" Snowkit squeaked, trying to sound natural. She studied her mother's face carefully, trying to figure out a way to stall her - but then she noticed the level of distraction in Poppyfrost's amber eyes. "Are you alright, mother? Aren't you happy to see me?"

"It's always lovely to see you again, my beautiful Snowkit," purred Poppyfrost evasively, but Snowkit wasn't conviced. Was that _fear_ she saw lurking in the depths of her mother's eyes? Why would she be afraid?

But now Poppyfrost's eyes were sweeping camp. "Where's Leopardkit?"

Dread sent chills up Snowkit's spine. What should she say? "Um... erm... I think she went to see Dustpelt and Sandstorm," she made up wildly.

"Oh." Poppyfrost looked surprised, but thankfully she chose not to argue. "Shall we go and fetch her, then? I think she would by glad to see I've returned from that patrol safe and sound!" There was a note of humour in her voice, but Snowkit couldn't have found the situation less funny.

"No, I'll go!" she volunteered swiftly.

"Erm... okay then."

Before Poppyfrost could do more than look slightly confused, Snowkit padded away. As slowly as she dared, she crept towards the elders' den, praying to StarClan that Poppyfrost wouldn't get suspicious.

"Hello, Snowkit," Sandstorm greeted her at the entrance to the elders' den.

"Hi, Sandstorm," Snowkit replied. She hesitated for as long as seemed natural. "Have you..." she mewed, slowly and deliberately. "Have you... seen... a kit... a kit around here... at any point... at any point today?"

The pale ginger elder blinked. "Of course I have. She's standing in front of me."

"Well..." Snowkit was still trying to draw out every word. "I didn't... _really_... mean me... if you know what I mean..."

Sandstorm put her head on one side, looking confused.

"What I _mean_ is... have any kits... come... to visit you?"

Sandstorm flicked her whiskers. "Why are you talking like that?"

"Like... what?"

"Slowly. As if... as if you're trying to draw out the conversation."

Snowkit's heart skipped a beat. _She mustn't realize...!_

But now Sandstorm was shaking her head. "No. Never mind. I haven't seen any kits today, sorry, Snowkit."

"What... what about... Dustpelt?"

"He's out hunting," explained Sandstorm. "He refuses to let the younger warriors do it for him."

"Oh." Snowkit's heart plummeted. She had been hoping for Dustpelt to stall her for a bit longer.

But it was no use anyway. Poppyfrost was approaching.

"Is Leopardkit here?" she questioned.

Snowkit gulped. Her mother would easily see through her 'slow-talk'.

_Maybe I should try an alternative..._

"Well you see, what happened was I walked over here and bumped into Sandstorm, by the way, Sandstorm, I'm sorry for interrupting your day you like that, anyway like I was saying I started talking to Sandstorm asking her if she had seen any kits, and she said, yes, there's one right in front of me, and I said no, I don't mean me, and then she told me that she hadn't seen any kits, so I asked to talk to Dustpelt but he's out hunting and-" Snowkit gabbled.

"Calm down!" Poppyfrost rasped her tongue over the top of Snowkit's head.

"Hey!" Snowkit tried to wriggle out of her mother's grasp, her small paws skittering on the smooth earth. However, inside, she was panicking. _What do I do now? I can't stall them forever! Leopardkit, please...! Come back!_

At that heartbeat, inspiration struck. "The medicine cats' den!" she gasped.

"What?"

"Maybe Leopardkit had a bellyache or something," Snowkit mewed quickly, trying to meet Poppyfrost's level gaze without seeming too guilty. "I mean, she could just be..."

"Snowkit." Poppyfrost fixed her blue-eyed kit with an intent look. "Tell me the truth."

A sensation of trepidation settled in Snowkit's belly. Her mother was about to ask the question she couldn't avoid - she knew it. And under the gaze of both Poppyfrost and a stern-eyed elder, she couldn't escape.

_StarClan, help me! I want to be an apprentice!_

"Snowkit, where has Leopardkit gone?"


	6. Four

**Thanks to Storms-Are-My-Nature, xxMelodic Dreamsxx, icethroat21, faithwolff14, Sunkit of ThunderClan, Moonstreak1, Brightspirit, Willowpool, Emberheart0, Spottedtalon, Wildwaters, hawkpath, and Frenzied Warrior for reviewing!**

**Next up - chapter four!**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Warriors, however surprising that may be.**

* * *

Four

"What are you mewing on about, Jayfeather?" Lionstar's mew sounded vaguely irritated.

"Exactly what I said," snapped the medicine cat. "I smell a _kit_."

"Don't be mousebrained," Lionstar sighed. "How could a kit come this far out of camp?"

Jayfeather purred. The sound was humourless - dry. "Don't you remember when _we _slipped out of the nursery as kits, Lionstar? It's not impossible."

Lionstar's eyes darkened. "I suppose you're right. But before we flush out the little 'warrior', just quickly go over what you just told me again. I don't quite understand."

"But-"

"How much trouble can one kit get into in a couple of heartbeats, Jayfeather? Just tell me once more. Then we'll find the kit. I promise."

Leopardkit hardly dared breathe as Lionstar and Jayfeather paused next to her bush. Trying to be as silent as possible, she wriggled backwards, trying to worm her way out of the bush. The branches rustled and she stopped, terrified.

"That's got to be the kit!" growled Jayfeather, his left ear flicking. "What if it's a _ShadowClan_ kit? Kits don't understand borders, after all."

"Oh, for StarClan's sake!" Lionstar rolled his eyes. "Stop being so paranoid. The quicker you explain again, the quicker we can go searching for the kit."

Jayfeather muttered something that sounded suspiciously like '_Fine_!' and blinked his sightless blue eyes.

"It was the night after Poppyfrost's kits were born."

Leopardkit froze. _Poppyfrost's kits? But that's..._

"Poppyfrost woke up and her kits were writhing in her nest, as though they were in pain."

Leopardkit was drinking in every word now. _Me... and Snowkit?_

"She took the two kits to me, but before I could do more than place one paw on the kits' bellies, they began to scream."

"And why didn't the Clan hear?" asked Lionstar, his eyes narrowing.

Jayfeather sighed. "I _told_ you - I don't know. With the volume of the scream, the whole Clan should have come running, but..." He shivered.

"And then?" prompted Lionstar.

The tip of Jayfeather's tail was swishing on the dry leaves. Leopardkit fought the urge to pounce on it.

_I need to stay focused! Jayfeather's revealing something terrible about my past - I _need _to listen!_

"They stopped wailing, but then they started to speak - in voices of fully-grown cats. I can't remember exactly what they said, but in essence they revealed that 'two, their lives broken and scattered by betrayal, live again'. I remember them saying that very clearly. When they'd finished, I realized that it was not a prophecy, but a cry for help."

Lionstar unsheathed his claws and scraped them on the ground. "What does it _mean_?" he growled.

Jayfeather just shrugged. "I couldn't tell you, quite honestly. But I know something - Leopardkit and Snowkit are unsafe. They definitely said something about not having the protection of StarClan bestowed upon them."

"Should I tell the Clan?"

"No!" Jayfeather's mew was harsh. "Imagine Foxleap's reaction. His kits are cursed. Poppyfrost's having trouble enough coping. And the kits - Leopardkit and Snowkit must never know."

Leopardkit's breaths were ragged. _What...? I... did that? I... I don't understand. I need... Snowkit's help..._

She was the rational one - Snowkit would know what to do. Of course she would. Leopardkit convinced herself that it would all be alright.

_Jayfeather's making a big thing out of this. I'm sure it was nothing really. I'm sure. _

Lionstar and Jayfeather were padding away now. Leopardkit waited until their mews were faint, and then she dashed out of her hiding place. In her head, she chanted a sort of mantra, in time to her pounding paws.

_Got to tell Snowkit... Got to tell Snowkit... Got to tell Snowkit..._

***

"Snowkit!" called Leopardkit, emerging out of the dirtplace tunnel. She could see her sister blinking - trying to look innocent - under the fierce glares of Sandstorm and Poppyfrost.

All three cats turned to look at the black kit. Snowkit's expression was one of relief.

Poppyfrost dashed over and started covering her daughter in licks. "Where were you?" she demanded.

"Stop it, I'm fine!" Leopardkit tried to squirm out of her mother's grip. She glanced over at Snowkit. The white kit was curling up on the ground, moaning soundlessly.

It clicked. Leopardkit understood.

"Erm..." she mewed, still watching Snowkit carefully. "I had a bad belly, so I..."

Snowkit motioned frantically towards the medicine cats' den.

"I went to Jayfeather's den," Leopardkit went on. "He wasn't there, so I... went to the dirtplace, and now I'm feeling much better." She blinked gratefully at her sister. _Thank you!_

"Thank StarClan!" murmured Poppyfrost fervently. Her gaze darkened. "Though StarClan don't..." she whispered, so softly Leopardkit was sure she had not been meant to hear it.

"What were you doing?" Sandstorm asked Snowkit curiously.

Snowkit jumped. "Oh, n-nothing!"

Leopardkit's whiskers quivered in silent amusement as Poppyfrost finally released her. "Don't _ever_ scare me like that again!" she scolded.

"I won't."

Free at last, Leopardkit rushed over to her sister. "Come with me!" she hissed into the downy white fur inside Snowkit's ear. "I need your help!"

***

"_What_!" Snowkit's eyes looked ready to pop out of her head. "No. No, Leopardkit, it can't be!"

"But it's _true_!" Leopardkit insisted. "I heard Jayfeather with my own ears!"

"But... but..." Snowkit seemed to be struggling. "It _can't_ be, Leopardkit. It just _can't_."

"Why?" Leopardkit blinked. "Don't you believe me?"

There was an inkling of unease stirring in Snowkit's blue eyes. "It's not that, Leopardkit, it's just-"

"You don't believe me!" gasped Leopardkit indignantly. "I don't _believe_ you!"

"Well..." Snowkit mewed timidly, scuffing her paws. "It _does_ sound unlikely..."

"But it's the _truth_!"

"Are you sure you didn't just fall asleep and have a bad dream, Leopardkit?"

"A bad...?" Leopardkit was speechless with fury. "I thought you of all cats would believe me, Snowkit." Rage flared in her belly, and she pushed her face close up to Snowkit's. "I guess I was wrong."

She arched her back, spitting, before turning and stalking out of the den.

"I'm through with you, Snowkit. From now on, you're just a denmate to me."


	7. Five

**Thanks to icethroat21, xxMelodic Dreamsxx, miragelover33, Moonstreak1, Willowpool, Spottedtalon, faithwolff14, NewProphecy, Storms-Are-My-Nature, flyingchicken, Wildwaters, and rhoanna for reviewing!**

**Next up - chapter five!**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: Warriors isn't mine. Pie isn't mine. This lamp =waves lamp above head= isn't mine. The world is mine! Er... um... I mean... it's not. (But it will be some day! Mwahahahahacoughcoughchokechoke)**

* * *

Five

Jayfeather put his head down, and lapped up a few drops of the star-filled water. The water always smelled damp, and perfectly still. It was strange, he thought, that he could smell _stillness_.

He closed his eyes, and gave way to sleep.

His eyes fluttered open, a surge of joy flowing through his veins like it always did when he was asleep - more importantly, when he could _see_.

Tonight, though, he was hoping for some guidance about Leopardkit and Snowkit. In fact, he had been hoping the very same thing for about five moons, but so far, no StarClan cats had appeared to him.

He noticed that he was standing in front of the Sky Oak, looking out towards the lake. The lake's surface was a little ruffled, like a dove's wing.

Jayfeather spotted a smudge of bright ginger near the lake's edge.

_At last!_ he thought, relieved. _Maybe I'll be able to get some answers now. StarClan are being a little mousebrained lately, in my opinion._

He set off at a quick trot down the smooth slope. At a closer range, he was able to see that the cat was Firestar, the former leader of ThunderClan - not to mention his own grandfather.

"Greetings, Jayfeather," mewed Firestar, nodding to the medicine cat.

Jayfeather inclined his head. "Hello, Firestar."

"How is ThunderClan these past moons?"

Jayfeather flicked his ear in irritation. _Are you mousebrained? _"Well, I've been a little worried about Leopardkit and Snowkit..."

"Ah, and no wonder," Firestar agreed, nodding wisely. "Poppyfrost must be distraught. Her first litter, too."

"Oh, yes." _Maybe we'll finally get somewhere!_

"I mean, for her kits to die so young..." Firestar continued.

Jayfeather's mouth hung open in shock. "I... I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, Firestar." _Why am I being polite to you? I should be clawing your oh-so-special ear off!_

"Snowkit and Leopardkit." Firestar seemed surprised. "They died less than a moon after their birth, remember?"

"No." Jayfeather was getting a little worried. Had Firestar gone totally delusional?

Firestar blinked. "Come. I'll show you them, if you wish." He turned and padded away in the direction of the Sky Oak.

Feeling more than a little bemused, Jayfeather followed.

***

"Here." Firestar flicked his tail towards where Hollykit seemed to be play-fighting with herself. "You see?"

_No!_ Jayfeather thought, staring at the empty space where Larchkit was tussling with mid-air. "Oh, um, of course, Firestar." He looked around the rest of the assembled cats, who were gazing at the non-existant kits with apparant fondness.

Jayfeather wanted to go up to them and claw the affectionate look off their faces.

_Thornclaw, Brambleclaw, Greystripe, Berrynose!? Don't any of you see that you're looking at thin air?_

He unsheathed his claws and dug them into the ground, fearing that it might fall from underneath him. If two of his Clan's kits didn't exist in the eyes of StarClan, maybe it would.

He blinked at some of the older ThunderClan cats.

_Bluestar, Frostfur, Spottedleaf, Mousefur!? I thought she-cats were supposed to have common sense!_

"Firestar," Jayfeather mewed desperately. "Snowkit and Leopardkit are alive and well in ThunderClan's nursery. Lionstar can back me up. Poppyfrost, and Foxleap, too."

But the orange leader's eyes were oddly blank. He rested his tail on Jayfeather's shoulder. "Jayfeather, don't be mousebrained."

For the first time, Jayfeather realized that Firestar's voice was a dull monotone.

"Snowkit is here. And Leopardkit is here." Firestar flicked one ear towards each empty space. "They are obviously not alive."

Jayfeather forced himself to say nothing. He turned to look at the other StarClan cats.

Mousefur's eyes, so full of grumpy humour when she was alive, seemed to have been turned to stone.

"Mousefur?"

"Don't worry, Jayfeather. I'll take care of the kits," Mousefur mewed.

_You'll take care of the...? But you always grumbled about kits when you were alive!_

The ThunderClan medicine cat turned to see Spottedleaf staring at him.

"Don't worry. I know it's hard. But you'll get over it. It's the instinctive medicine cat in you." The pretty young tortoiseshell's voice was flat - dead.

"The instinctive...?" Jayfeather whispered in disbelief. _Don't you remember how much I wanted to be a warrior?_

The colours were swirling around him now. Jayfeather stumbled, his paws clumsy. He blinked once, and darkness slammed down over his vision.

Jayfeather started backwards and crashed into a warm shape.

"Watch it, Jayfeather!" He recognized the voice as Willowshine's. The RiverClan medicine cat.

He was awake once more.

***

"Lionstar!" Jayfeather hissed, sensing his brother padding away from the apprentice den.

Lionstar padded over to him. "How was it?" he asked, his tone light. He seemed not to have sensed Jayfeather's worry.

Jayfeather exhaled slowly. "Different to anything I've seen before at the Moonpool."

Lionstar was fully alert now. He listened intently as Jayfeather told him what he had seen.

"First the cry for help, now this..." murmured the ThunderClan leader. "I was thinking of making Snowkit and Leopardkit apprentices soon, but..."

"No, no! Make them apprentices," urged Jayfeather. "They must not know that anything is wrong."

There was silence for a few heartbeats. Jayfeather heard the quick, light footsteps of Blossompaw as she padded over to the fresh-kill pile. A few heartbeats later, her mentor, Mousewhisker, emerged from the gorse tunnel, his breathing ragged. Evidently, Blossompaw had raced him back to camp.

"I suppose when Leopardkit said that no starry ancestors would protect them, she really meant it..." muttered Jayfeather, as an afterthought. "Great StarClan, why does everything seem to happen to _ThunderClan_?"

"Maybe these things do happen to other Clans," mewed Lionstar, his deep mew amused. "Perhaps they just keep them secret."

Jayfeather snorted. "Sometimes I think that ShadowClan do have all the darkness of the Dark Forest bestowed upon them..." He looked up. "What's wrong?"

Lionstar had just unsheathed his claws and scraped them across the ground. "You know about the Dark Forest?" His mew was low and intense.

Jayfeather purred. "All-seeing eyes, remember?"

"Of course." Lionstar waved off the comment. "But I've just thought of something. Something to do with Snowkit and Leopardkit."

Jayfeather blinked, hearing the tiny pattering pawsteps of Snowkit and Leopardkit skittering across the ground. "What?"

"Come to my den," ordered Lionstar. "There's something I need to tell you... Something that happened... when I was an apprentice."


	8. Six

**Thanks to xXPantheraXx, NewProphecy, xxMelodic Dreamsxx, tearsofwolves, icethroat21, Spottedtalon, Moonstreak1, Emberheart0, Hiddenfilly, thundercat29r, Willowpool, flowerfern, and miragelover33 for reviewing!**

**Next up - chapter six!**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: Don't look at me! _I _don't own Warriors! =points at Erins= It was them! All them!**

* * *

Six

"From this moment on, until she has earned her warrior name, this apprentice will be known as Snowpaw. Icecloud, you are now ready to take on an apprentice. You will be mentor to Snowpaw. Icecloud, Whitewing was your mentor, and she showed you the virtues of having a snowy pelt. I'm sure you will pass on all you know to this apprentice."

The deep rumble of Lionstar's mew died away as Snowpaw touched noses with her new mentor. Nerves fluttered in her belly, mingling with excitement.

She glanced over at the newly-named Leopardpaw, a flicker of hope flaring briefly inside her - maybe her sister just _might _find the heart to forgive her, in light of their new names. But Leopardpaw just turned her head away pointedly, and leaped daintily off the Highledge. The small bubble off hopefulness popped inside Snowpaw's belly.

_Well, if she wants to ruin our relationship, then fine, _thought Snowpaw determinedly, trying to shake off her disappointment. She raised her chin up high. _I'm going to make the best of being an apprentice._

"Wow, this is scary..." Icecloud murmured to herself. "My first apprentice..." She blinked her leaf-green eyes at Snowpaw and shook her head.

"Hi," mewed Snowpaw. It sounded like more of a statement than a greeting.

"Hi," replied Icecloud, seemingly helplessly. She closed her eyes momentarily, seeming to be trying to remember something.

Snowpaw shuffled her paws. Her mentor was acting like a newly-weaned kit!

"Shall we go out of camp?" she prompted, feeling more like a mentor herself. She glanced longingly over at Leopardpaw, who was mewing excitedly to her new mentor, Millie. Millie looked delighted to finally have her own apprentice - obviously, it was a sign of how much Lionstar trusted her, and knew that she had left her kittypet past behind.

"Okay!" Icecloud's mew was a little too high, Snowpaw noticed.

As Icecloud led the new apprentice through the gorse tunnel, Snowpaw couldn't surpress a tingle of excitement. _This is it - I'm really out of camp!_

The dry leaves crunched under Snowpaw's sensitive paws. It felt strange underpaw after the smoothness of the camp's ground.

After a few heartbeats of silence, Icecloud spoke. "I'm glad that my first apprentice is white," she mewed. "It kind of passed on the tradition."

"Tradition?" Snowpaw halted, putting her head on one side in confusion.

Icecloud nodded. She sat down, curling her tail around her paws. Snowpaw copied her. "Well, you're a completely white she-cat, and you're the apprentice of me - a perfectly white she-cat. And my mentor was Whitewing-"

"Another pure white she-cat," realized Snowpaw. Then something dawned on her. Lionstar had mentioned it in the naming ceremony, but in all the excitement, it hadn't really registered. "You were _Whitewing_'s apprentice?"

Icecloud's eyes gleamed as she remembered. Was that timid friendliness Snowpaw could see lurking there? "She wasn't deputy then, of course. Brambleclaw was."

"Whitewing's supposed to be a good deputy," Snowpaw mewed. "She's fair. My mother said so."

"She is," agreed Icecloud. "She's been through a lot of loneliness in her life. At one point she was faced with plenty of stress when she was the only apprentice in the den. And she's been a good mother to Dovepaw and Ivypaw. Personally, I was pleased when she was made deputy. She makes desicions quickly and rationally. But there were cats that weren't so happy," she added darkly.

Snowpaw blinked at her mentor's large speech and foreboding tone. "Why?"

"There were other worthy contenders," replied Icecloud. "Brackenfur, for example."

Snowpaw remembered the golden-brown tom. "Did cats think he should have been deputy when Firestar died?"

"Some cats thought that he should have become deputy instead of Brambleclaw," mewed Icecloud. "He never really _aimed _for deputyship, but... he seemed the perfect cat for it."

"Why didn't Lionstar pick him?"

"I think that Firestar was looking for someone younger to serve beside him. Some cat with many moons of life left, and some cat with enthusiasm. And Brackenfur... Brackenfur is not that cat." Icecloud seemed to think she had said too much, because unease stirred in her eyes and she looked rather embarrassed. "Sh-shall we go, then?"

Snowpaw nodded, and stood up. She was about to follow her mentor, but before she could put one paw in front of the other an inexplicable pain gripped her. She unsheathed her claws and dug them into the ground, trying to rid her body of the sharp stabs that dug into her like an enemy warrior.

"Snowpaw!" Icecloud gasped.

Was she supposed to be spinning like that?

"Are you okay...?"

Her voice sounded far away, echoing strangely...

"Snowpaw...!"

***

_"Come on, Snowkit! Let's play tag!"_

_"But it's cold!"_

_"It's only cold for the living cats, Snowkit. Please?"_

_"Okay, Larchkit. You're it!"_

_"It's kind of fun being a kit forever, don't you think?"_


	9. Seven

**Thanks to Silverdew of ThunderClan, xXPantheraXx, and Ryuchie for reviewing!**

**Next up - chapter seven!**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: Alas, I do not own Warriors. =cries in corner=**

* * *

Seven

Leopardpaw yawned as she watched the sun sinking slowly behind the treetops. The bubbling happiness that had been exploding inside her since dawn seemed to have calmed slightly now that the day was nearly finished.

Training with Millie had been fun. The former kittypet was smart, patient, and let her figure out things for herself. True, they had only looked over the borders, but it had been exciting smelling her first fishy whiff of RiverClan all the same.

Glancing over at the fresh-kill pile, Leopardpaw saw that one of the oldest apprentices, Briarpaw, was flicking her tail towards her in a friendly way. It looked a lot like she was asking her to come and eat.

Leopardpaw swiftly checked that Briarpaw didn't mean any other cat that was standing behind her, or something. Seeing that the apprentice den was abandoned but for herself, Leopardpaw stood up, flexed her claws and padded over to her denmate.

"Hi, Leopardpaw!" mewed Briarpaw. There was an open, sociable look in her eyes, and Leopardpaw immediately relaxed. This was a cat she could get on with easily.

"Hi," she replied.

"How was your first day of training?"

"It was..." Leopardpaw tried to find the words to explain. "Incredible."

Briarpaw flicked one ear. "So my mother's a good mentor?" She seemed pleased.

Leopardpaw nodded. "She doesn't seem like a former kittypet at all!"

"That's because my father taught her everything she knows," mewed Briarpaw. Her eyes dulled a little. "And my father was the _best_ warrior ever."

Leopardpaw licked her on the ear. "Don't worry," she assured the older apprentice. "I'm sure he's watching you from StarClan now."

Briarpaw brightened a little. "Do you think?"

"Of course!" Leopardpaw encouraged. She gazed up at the dark pink sky. A few early stars were already visible. "I bet that's Greystripe up there, watching us have this conversation right now!"

Briarpaw stared at the star above her. "Hi, Greystripe," she mewed softly. "I love you. And so do Bumblepaw and Blossompaw, too."

Leopardpaw felt a pang in her chest. She couldn't imagine how it would feel to lose Foxleap.

_You've kind of lost Snowpaw already,_ a tiny voice in the back of her mind reminded her.

_That was her fault! _Leopardpaw argued. _I was telling the truth!_

_It was an unbelievable truth, though._

Leopardpaw bit back a swift retort. Arguing with herself was just too odd.

She glanced over at the Highledge. Underneath it, Lionstar and Jayfeather seemed to be having a rapidly whispered conference. Leopardpaw narrowed her eyes. What was wrong with them?

As she watched, Poppyfrost joined them.

_This is about the cry for help. I know it._

All of a sudden, a white shape burst out of the gorse tunnel. Every cat turned to stare.

"What's going on?" Briarpaw whispered.

Lionstar stood up. "Icecloud?" His mew was confused. "What's going on? Where's-"

He broke off as Icecloud laid a small white bundle on the ground.

"Oh, StarClan, no!" gasped Poppyfrost. She dashed to her daughter's side and began covering Snowpaw in licks.

"What happened?" Lionstar's mew was solemn.

"We were just..." Icecloud looked terrified. "She just collapsed, and she wouldn't get up, and I'm..."

"Calm down," Lionstar soothed, laying his tail on Icecloud's shoulders.

Jayfeather padded up and nosed Snowpaw's fur. Poppyfrost stopped her frantic licking. "Is she...?"

"No." Jayfeather shook his head. "She's unconscious. But I don't know why."

Leopardpaw's heart was thudding in her chest.

_You're just a denmate to me._

Were those going to be her last words to her sister? Was Snowpaw going to... Leopardpaw flinched, not even daring to think it.

Jayfeather picked up Snowpaw by the scruff. The white apprentice didn't move. Her head lolled, her paws flailing helplessly, although she was already dead.

"I'm sorry," murmured Briarpaw. "It must be hard for you..."

Leopardpaw screwed up her eyes for a heartbeat, before racing after Jayfeather.

"Is she going to be okay?"

Jayfeather gave a non-committal grunt.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" cried Leopardpaw desperately. "Please, just tell me!"

"I can't tell yet," replied Jayfeather gruffly, his voice muffled as he spoke around Snowpaw's fur.

Leopardpaw's belly felt tight.

_What if... she doesn't make it? She'll remember me as... the cold sister. Who wouldn't forgive._


	10. Eight

**Thanks to thundercat29r, xxMelodic Dreamsxx, Silverdew of ThunderClan, miragelover33, flyingchicken, rainpaw3, icethroat21, Runningfirexyz, NewProphecy, Willowpool, Kathleen, faithwolff14, Moonstreak1, Emberheart0, Ryuchie, and Spottedtalon-Irisfire for reviewing!**

**Sorry I haven't updated in forever! I've just become a little... or a lot... obsessed with the X Factor. But now, here is a new chapter. Yay!**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything! Don't kill me! Or sue me!**

Eight

_"Snowkit..."_

_"Yes?"_

_"See that white ThunderClan apprentice?"_

_"What about her?"_

_"She... looks a lot like you, don't you think?"_

_"Hmm. You're right, Leopardkit. She does. But there are a lot of white cats around."_

_"Snowkit! Leopardkit! How are you today?"_

_"Oh, hi, Firestar! We were just talking about that white apprentice over there on the ground. She looks pretty ill."_

_"I hope she won't come to join us."_

_"W-what are you talking about? There's... no cat there."_

_"What?"_

_"Maybe you two are just tired. Even StarClan gets tired sometimes! Come on, back to the nursery, now."_

_"But... but... I'm sure..."_

***

"Snowpaw! Snowpaw!"

The voice sounded cracked and exhausted, but Snowpaw recognized it immediately.

"L-Leopardpaw?"

"Snowpaw! Y-you're alive!"

Snowpaw felt a tongue rasp across her flank again and again. Her blue eyes opened a sliver. A blur of black fur was hastily licking her fur.

"Yes," Snowpaw croaked, lifting her head slightly. "Yes, I'm alive."

"Thank StarClan!" her sister breathed. Her amber eyes locked with Snowpaw's for a heartbeat. "I'm so sorry."

"Sorry?" Snowpaw's head was still groggy and confused. "What for?"

"For saying that you were just a denmate to me. Snowpaw, you... you have your own opinion. I'm sorry for getting so angry."

Snowpaw's mind was taking a while to digest this. "You're a denmate to me?"

Leopardpaw drew back quickly, looking shocked. "You... what?"

"You're so angry..." Snowpaw mewed slowly. She shook her head, trying to clear it. It still seemed foggy and far away.

Unfortunately, Leopardpaw seemed to take this completely the wrong way.

"Angry?" She flattened her ears. "If you want us to still be angry, then _fine_!"

She flounced out of the medicine cats' den, bristling.

Snowpaw blinked, the haze inside her mind clearing slightly. Her eyes widened as she realized what she had just said.

"Leopardpaw, wait!" she called in dismay. Her shoulders sagged. "Great StarClan, I am _mousebrained_!"

But now Jayfeather was hurrying towards her, Mistypaw in his wake.

"You're awake!" he exclaimed, nudging her with his nose.

"Yes, and I feel fine," mewed Snowpaw quickly. It was true - the mist in her head was nearly all gone, and before that... "What actually happened to me?"

"You collapsed in the forest with Icecloud," Mistypaw explained quietly. "She dragged you back here."

"Oh. But I'm _fine_!" Snowpaw interjected quickly. Having Jayfeather scrutinize her - even if he couldn't see her - was rather unnerving.

Jayfeather heaved a sigh. "Fine. You can go. Just... don't do anything strenuous."

"Sure," replied Snowpaw swiftly. She bolted out of the den, her blue eyes carefully roving the camp. But Leopardpaw was nowhere to be seen.

_She's gone into the forest._ Snowpaw groaned internally. _That's against the Clan rules!_

She blinked sorrowfully. She was desperate to make up with her sister - but Snowpaw wasn't sure Leopardpaw would accept an apology after seeming to deny the last one.

_I don't care. Not having Leopardpaw by my side is killing me._

Sidling silently into the dirtplace, Snowpaw padded, terrified, out of camp.


	11. Nine

**Thanks to Spottedtalon-Irisfire, xxMelodic Dreamsxx, Willowpool, miragelover33, NewProphecy, icethroat21, Hiddenfilly, Ryuchie, Moonstreak1, nightmist of shadowwind tribe for reviewing!**

**Here's chapter nine! Computer crashed, sorry...**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: Before you ask, no. I don't own Warriors.**

Nine

Leopardpaw sat with her tail curled around her paws, staring intently at the fresh-kill pile. There was a still-glossy blackbird lying on top of it, which she had caught earlier that day. It's beady black eye was blank.

The black she-cat was guarding the piece of fresh-kill from hungry elders or queens. It was strange, but sitting by the fresh-kill pile and glaring fiercely at passing warriors seemed to be working. Leopardpaw wanted the blackbird to be Briarpaw's first meal as a warrior. She, Bumblepaw and Blossompaw would be returning from their last assessment soon.

It had been three moons since Snowpaw's near-death incident. Leopardpaw knew that she shouldn't be holding such a kitlike grudge, but the two still hadn't forgiven each other - a situation made worse when Snowpaw had tried to 'follow' her out of camp, not realizing that Millie had been tailing her the whole way.

_Come to think of it, _Leopardpaw thought, _Snowpaw's been out of camp a lot recently. And I haven't seen Icecloud with her..._

She shook her head to clear it, glowering ferociously at Roseflower, who was passing with her apprentice, Emberpaw. Ferncloud had finally given in to a life of retirement when her latest litter had been apprenticed.

A dark brown shape suddenly careered into camp, followed by a pale brown blur and a pale grey bundle of fur.

Leopardpaw's ear twitched as she sensed their excitement.

"We're going to be warriors!" yowled Briarpaw loudly, bouncing around in excitement.

Cinderheart, Birchfall, and Mousewhisker arrived in camp after their apprentices, looking very pleased with themselves.

"Calm down," mewed Cinderheart gently, touching the tip of her tail to Briarpaw's ear. "If you're going to be a warrior, you'll have to act like one, too!"

This sobered Briarpaw up considerably. "Yes, of course."

"We shall obey you, O Mighty Senior Warriors." Bumblepaw's whiskers quivered with humour. Birchfall lifted a light brown paw and pretended to cuff his apprentice over the head.

Leopardpaw left her solitary vigil for a heartbeat. "Congratulations!" she mewed. "Did you all do well?"

Blossompaw nodded. "We all caught enough prey to be made warriors together."

"That's great!" replied Leopardpaw enthusiastically.

And, in all the excitement, Leopardpaw forgot completely about Snowpaw.

***

The sun sank over the treetops, bleeding into the corners of camp. Long shadows were cast as the cats milled around the Highledge, waiting for Lionstar to appear out of his den. The three oldest apprentices, their pelts gleaming, stood on the Highledge already, hardly able to keep still.

A golden brown shape emerged out of the leader's den. Lionstar's amber eyes gleamed as he surveyed the Briarpaw, Bumblepaw, and Blossompaw.

"I, Lionstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." Lionstar's deep mew rang out across camp as he turned to Blossompaw. "Blossompaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," replied Blossompaw quietly, albeit shakily.

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Blossompaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Blossomflower. StarClan honours your courage and patience, and welcomes you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Lionstar rested his muzzle on Blossomflower's head, and the new warrior licked his shoulder respectfully. She drew back, pride evident in her eyes.

The ThunderClan leader went on to name Bumblepaw as Bumblestripe, but when he reached Briarpaw, she opted to make a request.

"Briarpaw, from this moment you shall be known as-"

"Er, excuse me, Lionstar." Briarpaw looked terrified to be interrupting her own warrior ceremony, but pushed on nonetheless. "But... if it wouldn't be too bold, could I please choose my own warrior name?"

"Erm..." Lionstar looked confused, but nodded nonetheless. "We shall see."

"If it would be all right, I would like to be known as Briarfern," mewed Briarpaw, her eyes and voice both low. "In honour of the cat who died for me when I was a kit."

There was a moment of silence. Leopardpaw realized that Briarpaw was talking about Honeyfern, the young warrior who had sacrificed her life in order to protect the small kit from a poisonous snake.

"A noble request," rumbled Lionstar. He dipped his head, causing Briarpaw to shuffle her paws in embarrassment. "It shall be so. Briarpaw, from this moment you shall be known as Briarfern, in honour of the cat who has gone before. StarClan honours your honesty and detemination, and welcomes you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

"Blossomflower! Bumblestripe! Briarfern!" yowled Leopardpaw, along with the other cats.

"In tradition with our ancestors, new warriors must sit vigil for one night alone, silently," Lionstar went on.

Briarfern, Blossomflower, and Bumblestripe nodded. They leaped off the Highledge and settled themselves in the centre of camp, their gaze focused on the entrance to camp.

"Good luck!" Leopardpaw called. Briarfern looked over at her and flicked her ear to show that she had understood.

Padding back to the den, Leopardpaw felt happier than she had in a while. Of course, she would have liked to be made a warrior _with _her friend, but it was much too early in her training to even think about that. Briarfern and her siblings would be ecstatic to reach the warriors' den.

The black apprentice circled in her mossy den, giving a wide yawn. It had been a full day, with Millie taking her out for battle training, and then hunting to feed the Clan, and now, what with the thrill of the warrior ceremony. It was early, but Leopardpaw felt ready for bed.

Dovepaw was already asleep, along with Beechpaw, Willowpaw, and Stormpaw. Ivypaw was in the medicine cats' den, recovering from an infected pad. Emberpaw had been taken out for his very first dusk patrol.

_That's all the apprentices, _thought Leopardpaw sleepily, _except..._

She blinked. Where was Snowpaw? Her sister hadn't turned up for the whole of Briarfern's warrior ceremony, and she still didn't seem to be back.

Leopardpaw gazed across camp from her mossy spot. Icecloud was sharing tongues with Lionstar outside his den. Leopardpaw twitched her ear in amusement - even as a young apprentice, she could tell that Icecloud's belly was showing the telltale roundness of kits. And there wasn't very much doubt as to whose they were.

But that also meant that Snowpaw wasn't being taken out by her mentor.

As Leopardpaw puzzled this out, a quiet rustling sounded from the gorse bushes just outside camp. Leopardpaw watched Blossomflower jump up, hackles raising, before sitting down hastily, licking her fur in an embarrassed manner, as Snowpaw emerged.

Bumblestripe gazed at Snowpaw quizzically, who shook her head. "Later," Leopardpaw heard her sister whisper.

Snowpaw padded into the apprentices' den, her blue eyes suspiciously shifty.

"Where have you been?" Leopardpaw hissed, narrowing her eyes.

"Nowhere..." Snowpaw replied, as she settled down in her nest, avoiding Leopardpaw's gaze.

_Yes, you have, _Leopardpaw argued internally. _I can see the burrs caught in your pelt. And it smells a lot like you've washed yourself thoroughly lately... too lately._

Leopardpaw rested her chin on her paws, staring broodingly at Snowpaw's white pelt.

Where had her sister been?


	12. Ten

**Thanks to xXStarless NightXx (love your name, by the way! Just had to add that), miragelover33, rainpaw3, thundercat29r, NewProphecy, Emberheart0, Ryuchie, Moonstreak1, icethroat21, Vanilla Bean for reviewing!**

**Here's chapter ten!**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: If I did, that'd be so cool.**

Ten

Snowpaw blinked. Colour swirled around her. _What is going on?_ she thought.

"Leopardpaw?" she wailed, disorientated and confused. "Poppyfrost? Foxleap? Icecloud?"

She could hear a gentle murmuring from the background. She recognised the voices, but somehow... they weren't voices that she knew.

"Who is it?" Snowpaw yowled boldly, her whiskers quavering with fear. She tried to distinguish one colour from another, but nothing would stop moving for long enough so that she could take a good look at it. "Who's there?"

"Snowpaw..." a voice whispered. Snowpaw's paws skittered erratically as the ground seemed to tip beneath her. She unsheathed her claws but there was nothing to cling onto.

"Snowpaw..." another voice murmured quietly. It didn't sound like just one cat. It sounded like... many.

"Who are you?" Snowpaw's eyes stretched wide in her panic as she tried in vain to find a clawhold on the flat, even surface. "What do you want?"

She heard a rattling noise, and saw a flash of silver. Snowpaw could taste bland, dry food on her tastebuds, and the ground under her pads was far too smooth...

Then she saw a flash of light grey fur, speckled with darker fur. The fur twined around her, surrounded her vision, and her last feeling was warm, sweeping relief - before she opened her eyes.

"What _are_ you doing?" Willowpaw was grumbling, turning in her warm nest. "Can't a cat get a decent night's sleep?"

"Sorry," Snowpaw choked out. "Bad dream." She was in her nest, in the apprentice's den. Well, _half_ in it. It seemed that she had been flailing about for a while before she had woken up. A dream. That's all it had been. Just a dream.

And she knew _why_ she had had that dream.

No, not that dream.

That _nightmare_.

"Sorry," she whispered again. But this time, she wasn't just talking to Willowpaw.

***

Snowpaw ducked under a green swath of ferns, which were heavy with dew after a light rainfall last night. Guilt weighed heavily on the pit of her belly, but she tried valiantly to ignore it.

"I'm not breaking the warrior code, I'm not breaking the warrior code, I'm not breaking the warrior code," she tried to tell herself. But it was no use. Snowpaw sighed.

_Apprentices aren't allowed out of camp without their mentor's permission,_ she reminded herself glumly. Although Icecloud was now clearly expecting Lionstar's kits, it didn't really give Snowpaw any excuse to go skulking around Twolegplace by herself.

Snowpaw wished that she had her sister's support. Leopardpaw would know what to do. She had always been the bold one, the adventurous one, the one not afraid to leave camp as a kit. And she, Snowpaw, had always been the obedient, blindly-following-orders one. Until now.

She couldn't rid herself of the image of that flash of grey-speckled fur. Although the _other _parts of her dream had been terrible, that was the one, glorious moment at the very end. Snowpaw was sure that it was against the warrior code in more ways than one to do this, but her mind was telling her one thing, her heart quite another.

_Lucky I have the brains of a stunned mouse at the moment,_ thought Snowpaw grimly, peering through a gorse bush. There were just a few Twoleg nests here, she knew - on the very edge of ThunderClan's territory.

The white apprentice bounded through a couple of trees. Her heart growing lighter, she glimpsed where she was headed for. Deftly, she scrambled up the neat wooden fence, forgetting completely about the warrior code, not to mention her sister.

All that was in her thoughts now was meeting...

Snowpaw's ears swivelled left and right. She breathed out a long sigh of relief - she hadn't been followed. The white she-cat leaped down off the fence and licked one paw. Her hike through the forest had made her dirtier than she would have liked. Swiftly, Snowpaw licked her pad and scraped it roughly across her ear, feeling self-conscious. That would have to do for now.

Her mew low, Snowpaw called out one word. "Pepper!"

**A/N/: Okay, short chapter, I know. The next one _should_ be longer, but I needed to get this bit done.**

**Reviews = happy author = more chapters**


	13. Eleven

**Thanks to Willowpool, NewProphecy, xXStarless NightXx, Emberheart0, Moonstreak1, alleygirl56, icethroat21, Sabine, rainpaw3, Ripplekit, Frenzied Warrior, flyingchicken, Ryuchie, and Spottedtalon for reviewing!**

**It's time for chapter eleven! Eep! I'm probably getting excited way too early, but The Fourth Apprentice will be out in, like, a month! Yaaay!**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: I need some new disclaimers. I'm running out, here! But, no fear, I don't own. Don't sue me.**

Eleven

_No!_ Leopardpaw jumped to her paws, glaring at Snowpaw's - empty - nest.

"Mousebrain!" she cursed herself under her breath. She had meant to stay up and watch to see if Snowpaw sneaked out again. But the result of her tiring day meant that she had drifted off before Snowpaw had even seemed to try and leave. And now... she was gone.

Leopardpaw sniffed Snowpaw's nest. The scent was fresh. Snowpaw couldn't have left very long ago. Leopardpaw glanced around the apprentice's den - except for Stormpaw and Beechpaw, who were on the dawn patrol, all the apprentices were still asleep.

Perfect.

Quietly, Leopardpaw padded out of the apprentice den. It was a cold morning - mist clung to the ground and Leopardpaw's breath unfurled before her. The black apprentice twitched her whiskers in discomfort. The damp air was going to make her fur soggy.

_Anything for Snowpaw, right?_ Leopardpaw's fur prickled. _I guess I wasn't as angry with her as I thought I was._

But, at that heartbeat, Leopardpaw's head began to pound.

_What the...?_

Leopardpaw blinked several times, trying to work out what was going on. But that just made her feel even more dizzy...

"Ugh... this is going to be a problem..." muttered Leopardpaw. Trying desperately to ignore the fact that she felt like her head was being attacked mercilessly by a ShadowClan warrior, Leopardpaw took one kittenstep in front of her. But even that seemed too much - her paw wobbled dangerously and gave way.

Leopardpaw crumpled on the ground, trying to rearrange her thoughts. But her thoughts seemed to be whirling out of control - Leopardpaw couldn't even find them, let alone command them to line up so that she could inspect them.

The ground was swaying beneath her now. Even though she was already on the floor, Leopardpaw was starting to feel that she couldn't stand much more of this. StarClan knew what had brought this on...

_StarClan!_

That one clear, defined thought caused Leopardpaw to give a wild gasp. Snowpaw had been like this, once, several moons ago, and not even Jayfeather could explain it...

But that was as far as Leopardpaw's thoughts would allow her to go. Black dots were beginning to cloud her vision, and to be honest, Leopardpaw couldn't find the effort to stay awake. Gratefully, the black apprentice let go, and gave way to dizzying blackness.

***

_"Snowkit isn't in a very good mood today, is she?"_

_"What makes you say that?"_

_"She's all grouchy and she doesn't want to play."_

_"I'll play with you, Hollykit!"_

_"Really? You really will, Leopardkit?"_

_"Sure!"_

_"Okay, I'll be the warrior, and you can be the mouse!"_

_"But I'm always the mouse..."_

_"...kit... you're... that..."_

_"But I... warrior... StarClan..."_

_"...always... silly..."_

Leopardpaw shook her head, not understanding the scene unfolding before her. Not only that, but the voices seemed to be fading and coming back randomly, so she couldn't even hear the whole conversation. All Leopardpaw could see were a few twisted, gnarled trees. Darkness dominated all, and nothing was illuminated.

As the happy, playful voices died away completely, a dark shape emerged out of the trees.

"Wh-who are you?" The words came out of Leopardpaw's jaws before she could stop them. "Wh-why have you interrupted my dream?"

"My name is Bluestar," mewed the shape. A blue-furred, elegant she-cat strode up to Leopardpaw and gave a rough purr. "I was leader of ThunderClan before Firestar. I have come for you because there are things in that dream that are irrelevant. They don't matter."

"D-don't matter?" Leopardpaw was mystefied. There was something about this cat that just wasn't quite right. "Is this StarClan, then?"

"Yes," replied Bluestar quickly. Leopardpaw was still puzzled. It seemed a rather dank, gloomy place for StarClan.

Another shape emerged from the trees. This time it was a tortoiseshell.

"And my name is Spottedleaf, dear one." The new cat bowed her head. "Peace, dear one. I was once ThunderClan's medicine cat, dear one."

Bluestar shot a look at Spottedleaf, and then turned to Leopardpaw again with a sickly-sweet expression plastered to her face. "What I'm trying to tell you is your destiny."

"_Destiny_?" yelped Leopardpaw, suddenly eager. Maybe this had to do with the strange things Jayfeather had heard.

"Yes, dear one," Spottedleaf mewed. Leopardpaw noticed that her look was identical to Bluestar's - so sweet it was almost scary. "Dear one, we have come to tell you what to do, dear-" She cut off as she saw Bluestar's expression.

"Yes," continued Bluestar, turning away from Spottedleaf. "Your destiny is this..."

Leopardpaw leaned forward excitedly. This could be her whole life's meaning! She was a little confused, however - weren't StarClan meant to be so cryptic it was almost irritating, and send signs everywhere?

_Doesn't matter,_ Leopardpaw decided. _If she's telling me my destiny, I'm not complaining._

"Destroy every filthy kittypet that walks the world," said Bluestar softly, her mew so quiet it was almost a hiss. Her black eyes glinted, hard as stone.

Leopardpaw was taken aback. _Destroy?_ "You... you mean kill?"

Spottedleaf nodded. "Kill them _all_." Her expression had changed completely - instead of being honey-sweet, there was an almost _hungry_ look in Spottedleaf's hard black eyes.

_Their eyes are identical,_ Leopardpaw noticed, with a shiver. _But... if it's StarClan's will... Would the world be a better place without softness?_

"Sh-should I take some to join the Clan?" suggested Leopardpaw.

"No!" hissed Bluestar at once. "Kittypets are weak. Kittypets _cannot_ be warriors. Your only option is..."

"...to kill," whispered Leopardpaw. She took a shuddering breath. "I can't... I can't..."

"You can't _what_?" Spottedleaf hissed menacingly, unsheathing her claws into the murky ground.

Leopardpaw swallowed, defeated. "...I can't doubt the wisdom of StarClan," she whispered brokenly.

_Some cats have a dark destiny. Mine is shrouded in shadows. _

"I'll do it."


	14. Twelve

**Thanks to icethroat21, rainpaw3, alleygirl56, xXPantheraXx, miragelover33, NewProphecy, Emberheart0, and SontaneousSupernova for reviewing!**

**Now, here is chapter twelve!**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: Nope, not a chance.**

Twelve

"So, tell me about ThunderClan."

Snowpaw rolled over onto her belly and gazed at the blue sky. Although leaf-bare was nearly upon them, there were no clouds that hinted at storms in the sky. Her head turned so that her blue eyes could look at the plump grey-speckled tom beside her. As usual, she felt the same strange mix of affection and guilt.

"Tell me your version first," Snowpaw teased.

The grey-speckled kittypet turned serious amber eyes on Snowpaw. "You're not going to like it," he warned.

"I think I can handle it, Pepper."

Pepper blinked warmly. "Okay," he gave in. "The tales say that there are groups of vicious wildcats living in the forest. They say that these wildcats eat live housecats and sharpen their claws on bones. They also say that the wildcats grow as big as badgers when they're angry!" Pepper's eyes were wide as he imagined it.

Snowpaw snorted with laughter. "Well, let's test this theory, shall we?" She flipped over onto her belly and jumped to her paws. Pepper stepped back a few paces.

"Wh-what...?"

Snowpaw drew back her lips and snarled softly, fluffing out some of the fur on her spine. It would have barely scared a kit, but Pepper crouched low on the ground, terrified.

"D-don't eat me!" he wailed, quavering with fear.

Snowpaw relaxed, her whiskers trembling with amusement. "Pepper, I wouldn't _want_ to eat you!"

Pepper continued to stare at Snowpaw, although he stopped crouching so low. "That was _scary_!" he whispered, sounding impressed. "I wouldn't want to meet _you_ in battle!"

"I couldn't have even scared a newborn kit with that performance!" Snowpaw assured him. "There are warriors a lot more scary than me, honestly. I'm still in training."

"Well, you seem terrifying enough to _me_," Pepper mewed. But then his eyes grew solemn. "Don't _ever_ do that again!"

Snowpaw couldn't resist. "What, this?" She let out a growl, baring her sharp teeth.

"Stop it!" squealed Pepper.

"Sorry." Snowpaw pressed herself against Pepper's side to calm him down. A twinge of guilt stirred in her as she imagined what Leopardpaw would say if she saw her like this, but she pushed it away quickly.

Pepper's whiskers brushed lightly against Snowpaw's cheek. "You're... nice, Snowpaw." His mew was soft. He looked down at his podgy paws. "I've never met a cat quite like you before in my life."

Snowpaw's heartbeat raced. "Thanks," she replied, trying to keep the breathlessness out of her tone. She gazed back towards the forest, doubting herself. Was this really right? The warrior code only stated that you weren't allowed to fall in love with cats that you might one day fight...

The grey-speckled kittypet followed her gaze. "You need to get back," he guessed.

Snowpaw turned to him. "I don't want to go, but... my Clan needs me."

"It's okay." Pepper rasped his tongue over Snowpaw's ear. "I get it."

"I'll come back," Snowpaw promised.

"I know." Pepper nodded. "You've kept that promise for three moons. You're not the sort of cat who breaks promises. I can tell."

Snowpaw nodded. She padded to the fence and jumped up lightly. Pausing slightly to regain her balance, she cast one, longing look back at Pepper. There was a light sorrow in his eyes - the pain of goodbye, but knowing that there was always tomorrow.

_And there _will_ be a tomorrow,_ Snowpaw decided firmly. _Whether I'm breaking the code or not._

***

Snowpaw emerged quietly through the gorse tunnel. It was sunhigh, but no cat seemed to have missed her - least of all her mousebrained mentor, who spent all her time with Lionstar these days.

"Is she going to be alright?" The anxious voice of Poppyfrost broke through Snowpaw's thoughts. The white apprentice looked over to the medicine cats' den and gasped.

"Leopardpaw!" she whispered, her mew turning hoarse. She dashed across camp to where her sister lay, motionless.

Jayfeather was examining her. "This is just the same as what Snowpaw went through," he murmured to Poppyfrost. "She's unconscious, but I can't pinpoint the cause of it."

"But Snowpaw recovered." Poppyfrost's voice was growing higher and higher. "Leopardpaw will be okay too, right? Right?"

Jayfeather stayed silent.

"Poppyfrost, what's going on?" asked Snowpaw urgently. "What happened to Leopardpaw?"

Poppyfrost shook her tortoiseshell head slowly. "I don't... know."

_And we still haven't forgiven each other for that stupid... _Snowpaw unsheathed her claws into the smooth ground. _Please, Leopardpaw, be okay!_

She pressed her nose into Leopardpaw's black fur. It was dull - less glossy than usual. Emotion welling up inside her, Snowpaw breathed in her sister's familiar, nursery-sweet scent.

Jayfeather was speaking again - this time, to Mistypaw.

"Mistypaw, she's cold, but I don't know whether she has a fever or not. Would you mind pressing yourself against the body, so-"

"The _body_?" shrieked Poppyfrost hysterically, her voice rising.

"No, no," Jayfeather tried to reassure her. "I meant, Leopardpaw's body, this is to try and keep her alive while I find out what's ailing her..."

"Don't worry, Jayfeather, that's fine," mewed Mistypaw quietly.

"I'll help," Snowpaw mewed quickly, seating herself next to her unmoving sister. She hesistated for a heartbeat, and then whispered, almost inaudibly, "I love you, sister."


	15. Thirteen

**Thanks to xXStarless NightXx, Ryuchie, EeveeCelebi749, miragelover33, Willowpool, Emberheart0, Moonstreak1, thundercat29r, alleygirl56, RUNNINGFIREXYZ, rainpaw3, yuki-neechan, icethroat21, hawkpath, and Spontaneous Supernova for reviewing!**

**Time for chapter thirteen! By the way, I've just written out the whole plot for this story. It's... well. You'll have to find out as I write. Oh, and also, my computer's gone really weird. It won't let me review anything. So if I normally review your story, and I haven't recently, well, you know that I really want to.**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: If I'm really good, can I have Warriors for Christmas?  
=crickets chirp=  
I'll take that as a 'no'. I don't own Warriors.**

Thirteen

Silence pounded against Leopardpaw's ears. She could feel two warm, furry shapes on either side of her.

Opening her eyes and blinking sleepily, Leopardpaw noticed that it was dark all around her. She twitched her nose. The tangy, heady scent of herbs told her that she was in Jayfeather's den.

Leopardpaw felt disorientated. What had happened? How much time had passed? What had she-

_Oh._ Leopardpaw let out a long, low hiss as she remembered her dream. _Destiny. Kittypets._

Stalling, the black-furred apprentice glanced around the den. The two furry shapes on either side of her turned out to be cats - cats that were, in fact, when Leopardpaw took a closer look, Mistypaw and Snowpaw.

_S-Snowpaw?_ This surprised Leopardpaw. _But I thought... I thought..._

Both she-cats were fast asleep, but, as Leopardpaw watched her sister, Snowpaw let out a low moan.

"L-Leopardpaw..." she croaked.

Leopardpaw jumped up and stumbled backwards. Snowpaw rolled over onto her back, her paws working furiously as though she were digging, or climbing to escape something.

"I'm sorry..." whimpered Snowpaw, her eyes screwed up as she slept. "Don't leave... don't... don't leave... Leopardpaw!" Snowpaw let out a piteous wail. "Leopardpaw, StarClan isn't ready for you!"

Leopardpaw's heart thudded erratically under her fur. _She does care._

Snowpaw had stopped now. Her flailing paws dropped and she rolled back over so that she was curled up again. Mistypaw didn't stir.

Leopardpaw shut her eyes briefly. _I can't believe it... all along... we were never really _angry_ with each other... only... only stubborn..._

For the first time, a terrible thought about Snowpaw hit Leopardpaw.

_If my destiny is to kill every kittypet... does that mean... it's Snowpaw's destiny, too?_

Seeing her sister sleeping so innocently under the the cover of night, Leopardpaw couldn't bear to break Snowpaw's will. Let her sleep, and maybe... maybe she'd be better off finding out later.

Quietly, almost silently, Leopardpaw slipped out of the medicine cats' den. She gazed up at the cloudless night. A perfect crescent moon hung in the sky, StarClan warriors scattered around it.

_Moonhigh._

Grateful for her black pelt, Leopardpaw kept to the gloom around the other dens. Hardly daring to breathe, she stole past Brightheart, who was guarding camp, guiltily pleased that Brightheart could only see out of one eye.

Once she was in the forest, it was much easier to move. Like a shadow, she flitted from tree to tree, avoiding the patches of moonlight that filtered down through the trees.

Eventually, the trees began to thin out. Leopardpaw knew that there were a few Twoleg nests around near ThunderClan territory. Hopefully there would be some kittypets there...

_Well, not for long,_ she thought, with a shudder. She gazed up through the sparse treetops. One star shone brightly above her. _I'm doing this for you, Bluestar. Please, give me strength._

Her paws left the cool fronds of grass as she stepped onto the hard, sticky, grey stuff that the Twolegs seemed to spread everywhere. The acrid tang of monsters soured the air, as did Leopardpaw's growing fear. It was dawning on her that she had crept out of camp in the dead of night and come to Twolegplace to kill.

_I can't back out now. I can't. This is my destiny. Destroying softness._ The fur on Leopardpaw's spine pricked up as she smelled the Twoleg-tainted scent of a kittypet.

Oblivious to Leopardpaw's presence, the tubby tortoiseshell kittypet continued to amble on in front of the ThunderClan she-cat. Leopardpaw knew that it would not take much to send the kittypet down - she didn't look like she was capable of defending herself against a mouse - but it was just summoning up the _nerve_...

Leopardpaw shook her head to clear it. Squeezing her eyes shut, claws unsheathed, she leaped.

The kittypet gave a gasp of pain as Leopardpaw's sharpened claws sank into her flesh. Leopardpaw raked her claws along the kittypet's spine, making her yowl in agony.

Trying to block out the kittypet's screams, Leopardpaw bit down, hard, and tasted blood. Red stained Leopardpaw's paws as it flowed freely out of the wounds she had created. The kittypet's wild, terrified eyes found Leopardpaw's, and Leopardpaw could read them as clearly as the day.

_What do you want with me?_

Hiding her emotions behind a hard mask, Leopardpaw flashed out one paw to the kittypet's throat. But then one word escaped her jaws - a word, filled with hatred, that Leopardpaw had never meant to say.

"Die," she hissed.

The kittypet's weak thrashing deteriorated until the tortoiseshell grew limp. Her green eyes dulled as life left her body.

Leopardpaw had made her first kill.


	16. Fourteen

**Thanks to xXStarless NightXx, Emberheart0, Jaggedwing, Willowpool, alleygirl56, rainpaw3, NewProphecy, Moonstreak1, Spottedtalon, and yuki-neechan for reviewing!**

**Well, it's chapter fourteen, now... And if you thought last chapter was dark, I'm afraid it's going to get a _lot_ darker from here...**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: Don't look at me!**

Fourteen

Adrenaline hurtled around Leopardpaw's body, making her breathless as she stared down at the body of her enemy. The tortoiseshell kittypet's eyes were glazed in death, lifeless.

Feeling strangely victorious, Leopardpaw delicately picked up her blood-soaked paws and prowled around to the other side of the kittypet's plump body.

_Is this the feeling every cat gets when they're accomplishing what they were born to do? _the black she-apprentice wondered, staring down at the kittypet's distended, plump belly. Leopardpaw wrinkled her nose in disgust. How could one cat be so _greedy_? She was bigger than most of the queens.

Suddenly, Leopardpaw's eyes widened. _No... it couldn't be..._

But, remembering the telltale roundness of kits that Icecloud's belly was showing, Leopardpaw had to admit that it looked extremely similar... the shape... the lumbering stride of when the kittypet was still alive...

Leopardpaw didn't want to believe that the tortoiseshell kittypet had been pregnant. She _did not_ want to think that she had killed more than one cat with one swipe. But...

"Oh, StarClan, no!" moaned Leopardpaw. The kits were innocent. Whoever their mother was, the kits weren't as soft as she was.

Yet.

_It's not so bad,_ she tried to reassure herself. _Now I won't have to deal with the kits later, when they're older. Two birds, one stone._

But try as she might, the ThunderClan apprentice couldn't convince herself that what she had done was right anymore. She had murdered innocent kits. Kittypet or not, they hadn't needed to die.

Right at that heartbeat, she heard a terrible, heart-stopping scream.

It was the scream of a fully grown tomcat - a scream of hatred and anger. The pain in this scream was unbearable, and Leopardpaw covered her head in her paws to block the noise, but it continued on.

The sound was inside her head, it throbbed in her veins, spreading horror and confusion - it was inside her, inside her heart, it was inside her very soul...

Leopardpaw writhed on the ground, begging StarClan for mercy - anything, anything was better than the pain of this scream. Leopardpaw wanted nothing more than for it to end, for her to faint, to _die_...

And there was a picture - a picture in her head. Two tiny, black kits lying dead in the middle of the ThunderClan camp. A dreadful ache inside her. A little, dark tabby tom bouncing around the bodies - so innocent, so carefree...

But then, quite suddenly, there was a voice. The scream faded into the back of her mind. It was still there, but being tuned out by the voice - not that the voice was any less heart-wrenching.

"I did _not_ reincarnate my mother for her to feel sorry for a couple of kittypets and my weak sisters!"

The voice was worse than any physical wound - it was as though a lifelong scar was opening up inside Leopardpaw's mind and bleeding afresh, and the image of the dead kits was still burned into her vision...

"StarClan, help me!" whimpered Leopardpaw.

***

_"Are they awake yet?" Patchkit whined, tapping his paws impatiently on the moss in his mother's nest._

_"Snowkit's eyes are open, but Bluekit-" Swiftbreeze started, but she was immediately cut off as her two kits raced past her to see the newborns._

_"Snowkit!" whispered Leopardkit, seeing the white-furred kit next to her dark grey sister. Thier eyes were closed._

_Leopardkit looked up at Snowkit and Bluekit's mother, Moonflower, crestfallen. "I thought Snowkit was awake?"_

_"She is," purred Moonflower. "But she thought she'd better go back to sleep, just so that she could wait for Bluekit. They'll be ready in their own good time."_

_"_I_ opened my eyes much earlier than this," boasted Leopardkit._

_"But I opened my eyes before you!" argued Patchkit._

_"No, that was me!"_

***

_"Leopardpaw!"_

_Whirling colour was all around her. A wound on her side throbbed like mad._

_"It hurts," she whimpered. She felt a blue-grey shape on one side of her, helping her up, and immediately felt annoyed. "I can do it by myself!"_

_Half walking, half being dragged by Bluepaw and Swiftbreeze, she made her way out of the battlefield - the WindClan camp._

_Suddenly, Bluepaw wasn't by her side anymore._

_"W-what...?"_

_Now there was a white shape._

_"Snowpaw?"_

_"Don't worry, we'll get you out." The new apprentice sounded terrified, but at least it calmed Swiftbreeze._

_"Right." There was a worried edge to her tone, but Leopardpaw couldn't have cared less. Stupid Goosefeather for dragging them into this battle in the first place..._

***

_"Pinestar?"_

_The red-brown tom paused next to his mate, looking weary._

_"I'm sorry," he whispered brokenly, so that no other cat could hear. "I have to go."_

_Leopardfoot's heart split down the middle, broke cleanly in two, as those words were uttered._

"I'm going to go and live with the housefolk in Twolegplace."

_"No..." Leopardfoot couldn't say anything more than that as she watched her mate leave her, and his kits... to become a kittypet. "How can you leave?"_

_"Mama? What's going on?"_

***

_Two black kits, lying in the middle of camp, their eyes glassy. A dark brown tom gambolling around them, unaware that his sisters were dead..._

_Leopardfoot's half-healed broken heart ripped open yet again. Tigerkit was too young... he couldn't understand that he would never see them again until he joined them in StarClan..._

_He couldn't understand the extent of the situation._

_Snowfur left Whitekit in the nursery and wordlessly pressed her fur against Leopardfoot's. No other communication was needed, but I felt grateful for the warmth of her fur when my mate couldn't comfort me._

***

A wild gasp escaped Leopardpaw's jaws as the last image faded. The scream inside her head had died away, too. However, in front of the kittypet's body stood the hazy shape of a dark brown tabby tom with unusually long front claws...

In a heartbeat, Leopardpaw understood.

"You..." she whispered, her eyes wide. "You're... you're my son. You're Tigerstar. Aren't you?"

Tigerstar's hard amber eyes flashed with rage. "I never should have chosen _you_ when I found out the secret of reincarnation," he snarled. "You're too soft for your own good. I knew that you would never be able to finish the job."

Leopardpaw's head was spinning. "But... Bluestar... Spottedleaf... they told me..."

Tigerstar eyed her scornfully. "My son Hawkfrost and I tricked you, fool. We clouded your dream-vision so that you _thought _you were seeing Bluestar and Spottedleaf, when, in all honesty, that was us. Truthfully, I was afraid you'd see past the eyes."

_The eyes..._ Of course! Leopardpaw shivered when she remembered the swirling black depths of Bluestar and Spottedleaf's identically coloured eyes.

"But... I know who I am now," Leopardpaw mewed, staring levelly at the former ShadowClan leader. "I can tell everyone. You can't touch me."

"Wrong," growled Tigerstar. In one bound of his powerful hind legs, he crossed over to her and pinned her down with a strong front paw. "Just because I'm dead, doesn't mean I can't fatally wound you."

"But-"

"Do what I told you to do," hissed Tigerstar, his face a mousetail from hers, "or I _will_ kill you. And... since part of your spirit already resides in StarClan... you'll be wandering in the Dark Forest. For eternity."


	17. Fifteen

**Thanks to jaggedwing, xXStarless NightXx, flyingchicken, Willowpool, NewProphecy, rainpaw3, yuki-neechan, Ryuchie, Moonstreak1, and Emberheart0 for reviewing!**

**Here comes fifteen!**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: Is it just me, or does this seem repetitive...? Oh well. Don't own Warriors, Erin Hunter and HarperCollins do.**

Fifteen

Snowpaw was feeling a tiny bit guilty.

_Oh, come on, it's not that bad, _she tried to tell herself. _Pepper can help the search._

She gave a sigh.

_But what does a _kittypet_ know about tracking?_

She and Mistypaw had woken up to find Leopardpaw gone and her nest cold. They had panicked - as had the rest of the Clan - and Lionstar had ordered search parties to look for her. Surprisingly, Lionstar had joined one of the parties with his brother, Jayfeather.

Millie was distraught, blaming herself for the disappearance of her apprentice. She had been left with Sandstorm and Dustpelt, who were trying to calm her down, despite her insistance that she should look for Leopardpaw herself.

At the first opportunity, Snowpaw had ditched Ivypaw, Spiderleg and Toadspots and run straight to Pepper's Twoleg nest. The two of them were now searching together, trying to find Leopardpaw, although a voice inside Snowpaw nagged that Leopardpaw wouldn't have come to Twolegplace.

"So, her nest was _really _cold?" asked Pepper, for the seventh time.

Snowpaw closed her eyes briefly. "_Yes_, Pepper. Her nest was _really cold_. She obviously hadn't been there for a while."

"Hmm." Pepper stopped. "Where would she go?"

"I don't know!" Snowpaw's mew rose to a wail. She buried her muzzle in Pepper's warm grey fur. "I'm so scared for her, Pepper!"

"Don't worry," the tom soothed. "If she's half as tough as you, she should be fine."

"I'm not tough," mumbled Snowpaw through Pepper's fur.

"You are _very_ tough," corrected Pepper. "Now, come on, we won't find her by standing around."

It didn't occur to Snowpaw to remind him that he had been the one to stop them in the first place.

***

Snowpaw's nose twitched. "What was that?" Her mew was hushed, intense.

"What?"

"That... smell..." Snowpaw opened her mouth, wrinkling her nose as she inhaled the rancid odour of monsters. But... underneath... "Leopardpaw?"

She sniffed again. Yes - it was definitely there. The scent of her sister, but it smelt... wrong. The air was soured with Leopardpaw's fear scent. Snowpaw's heart raced. With her sister's scent was another smell - salty with a sharp tang.

"Blood!" Snowpaw gasped. A terrible image of Leopardpaw, alone and bleeding, sprang to her mind, but she quickly pushed it away with a shudder. She turned to Pepper. "Come on - we have to go!"

She shot off, leaving the plumper - and slower - kittypet to lumber after her at a much more measured pace.

Snowpaw skidded around the corner of a Twoleg nest, the hard stuff beneath her paws scraping her pads.

"Leopardpaw!" She stopped dead, aghast, digesting the scene in front of her.

A plump - clearly pregnant - tortoiseshell kittypet lay, dead, at Leopardpaw's paws. Crimson blood flowed freely around the black ThunderClan apprentice, who was being pinned down by a huge tabby tom with very long front claws. But the tabby looked too pale... like a _spirit_...

"Snowpaw!" gurgled Leopardpaw, the paw at her throat intefering with coherent speech.

The tabby looked furious. "Who's this?" he spat.

"My... sister..." rasped Leopardpaw. "Snowpaw..."

"Leopardpaw, what's going on?" asked Snowpaw, her mew urgent.

But the tabby's lip was curling now. "Yes, Leopardpaw. Tell Snowpaw what's going on." He lifted his paw from Leopardpaw's throat.

All arguments between the two sisters were forgotten as Leopardpaw drew breath.

"I got a dream from Bluestar and Spottedleaf," she started, speaking very fast, "and they told me to kill every kittypet in existance. So... I went into Twolegplace, and, um..." She gestured towards the blank-eyed tortoiseshell. "But I felt really terrible about it, and then I heard a scream. Tigerstar appeared," she gestured towards the large tabby, "and told me that he didn't reincarnate me so that I could feel sorry for weaklings. I... saw lots of stuff, and then Tigerstar told me I had to kill all the kittypets anyway. Look, I know it sounds mad, but you _have_ to believe me! _Please_, Snowpaw!" Her amber eyes were pleading.

Snowpaw's eyes had grown large. "You're... a... reincarnation?"

Leopardpaw nodded. "Yes. I used to be Leopardfoot." She bowed her head. "Tigerstar's mother."

"And... that's...?" croaked Snowpaw, turning blue eyes on the tabby.

Leopardpaw nodded again. But then she turned her head sharply to look at Tigerstar.

"Wait," she mewed. "You told me that you could inflict fatal wounds on me... How come you can't just kill the kittypets yourself?"

Tigerstar blinked slowly. "It's not as simple as that, you see. To inflict fatal wounds on a cat, I have to be possessing their body. And possessing cats is a _very _irksome business. It takes _time_." His eyes glinted as he drew back his lips, exposing long, pointed teeth.

Snowpaw took a shuddering breath, staring at Tigerstar. His eyes were full of amusement.

Leopardpaw gaped. "You've been... _possessing_ me?"

Tigerstar ignored her.

"I thought I just might add something. Since Hawkfrost and I found out the secret of reincarnation, we - foolishly, it seems - thought it would be useful to try and use it on a few _more_ things. Well," he gave a purr of amusement, "just _one_ more thing."

He gazed directly at Snowpaw, who shivered.

"Snowpaw, you used to be a cat named Snowfur. You were Bluestar's sister."

And that was when it grew too much. Snowpaw swayed where she stood her eyes as round as moons - and fainted.

**A/N/: Mmm... a shorter than usual chapter. But hopefully an explanatory one.**


	18. Sixteen

**Thanks to Jaggedwing-moonstreak, Willowpool, NewProphecy, Moonstreak1, WildCroconaw, Hiddenfilly, icethroat21, xXStarless NightXx, eagletail, yuki-neechan, Ryuchie and Emberheart0 for reviewing!**

**Now for chapter sixteen... And everyone can feel smart for guessing Leopardpaw and Snowpaw's true identities ^.^**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: =shakes head vigorously until head falls off=**

Sixteen

Tigerstar was gazing at Snowpaw - who was out cold - with a bored look on his features.

"Your sister hasn't got much spine, has she?" the dangerous tabby commented. Leopardpaw would have dearly loved to either tell him to shut up or to reach up and claw his forked ear off. Since neither option seemed practical - and since Leopardpaw rather liked her life, and wanted to keep living it - the black she-cat contented herself by ignoring Tigerstar and trying to wake up her sister.

"Oh, Snowpaw, wake up, please..." Leopardpaw muttered, prodding Snowpaw's limp body with a forepaw. She sighed, and raised a delicately extended claw. "Sorry," she whispered, before swiping down the length of Snowpaw's cheek, leaving a long and ragged cut.

The shock of the pain woke Snowpaw up. "Ouch!" she gasped crossly, her eyes widening with the sting. But then she realized where she was. "Oh, Leopardpaw, I'm so sorry!" she whispered.

"No, I'm the one that should be-"

"This is _very_ touching," sneered Tigerstar, interrupting the conversation, "but can we please return to the small matter of... the kittypets?"

The danger of the situation suddenly struck Leopardpaw. This conversation was pivotal. They were mere heartbeats away from feeling Tigerstar's sharpened claws - the circumstances could not continue to balance, on point, like this. But keeping Tigerstar happy was vital. Maybe if they could keep him talking...

"Yes, of course," replied Leopardpaw. "I'll get to it soon. But... could you at least tell us _how_ you managed to reincarnate us?"

She heard Snowpaw draw her breath in sharply. But, Leopardpaw mused, it was much easier for her sister... after all, _she_ wasn't in danger of being murdered by her son-of-sorts, after being possessed by him for StarClan knew how long.

"Hmm." Tigerstar's answer was a deep, quiet growl. "That wasn't easy. Spying on StarClan in their own lands... finding out how they did it - we watched them reincarnate Cinderpelt... and then, of course, we had to kidnap Leopardfoot and Snowfur from StarClan's hunting grounds." He made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat. "It resulted in a minor confrontation. But we managed to send Leopardfoot and Snowfur back to ThunderClan before the good, perfect Bluestar could stop us - not to mention _Whitestorm_..." Tigerstar's eyes darkened. "Always the sentimental one."

"Whitestorm..." Leopardpaw heard her sister breathe. "My... son?"

But Leopardpaw was determined to push Tigerstar as far as he would go. "You told me that part of my spirit already resided in StarClan, so if and when I die I won't..." She trailed off.

"Yes." Tigerstar was silent for a heartbeat. "It seemed that Snowfur and Leopardfoot defended themselves in their own way. On the first night you were born... I'm sure you've figured out about the wail Jayfeather and your mother heard... Well, as soon as you let out that plea, that part of yourselves... well, I suppose you could say that they died.

"The cats of StarClan were sure that cats created by evil would be evil themselves. Save for those tiny parts of your souls, they banished both of you from their hunting grounds, and pretended that you didn't exist, even to the medicine cats and the parts of your spirits themselves..."

There was silence as the two young she-cats digested this information.

But, at that heartbeat, a pattering of slow paws and the wheezing gasps of a cat out of breath broke the quiet.

Leopardpaw turned to see a fat, pale grey kittypet with darker flecks to his fur lumbering towards them. He had obviously been running - or what could be defined as 'running' from a kittypet's point of view.

Tigerstar's hard amber eyes flashed. His next words were directed at Leopardpaw. "You know what you have to do... unless..." He unsheathed his claws in a threatening way.

_Keep Tigerstar happy... _thought Leopardpaw. _Right. Got it. No other option. I have to. It's not like I know him..._

Working automatically, trying not to feel, she leapt at the tubby kittypet and felt her claws sink into his kit-soft fur.

"Sorry," she mumbled through a mouthful of his fur. "It's nothing personal. I haven't got a choice."

"Leopardpaw!" Snowpaw was shrieking. "_No_!"

"It's just a kittypet!"

"No, it's not!" wailed the white she-cat. "His name is Pepper, and I..." she left her sentence suspended for a heartbeat, "and I love him!"

"_What_?!" screeched Leopardpaw, sheathing her claws and scrambling away from the torn and bloodied tom. "You... you..."

But Snowpaw wasn't listening. She was at Pepper's side in less that a heartbeat. "Pepper..." she moaned. "No...!" She lapped helplessly at his wounds.

"It's too late," croaked Pepper, although Leopardpaw had attacked his neck. "You can't help me, Snowpaw. I..." He coughed feebly, blood spattering the ground.

"Don't try to move." Snowpaw's voice was thick with raw emotion. "Save your energy."

"Don't be fluff-brained. I'm not tough like you." Pepper's mew was hoarse, but it carried the humour of some long-dropped joke. "I love you. I always will."

"I... I love you too," whispered Snowpaw, her voice cracking. "But don't leave me!"

"I'm sorry," Pepper rasped. "But I have to go..." He stretched his neck up and gave his mate one last, affectionate lick on the top of her head, before his eyes glazed over and his harsh breaths died away to nothing.

"Pepper!" Snowpaw's voice rose to a high-pitched wail as she mourned for the kittypet. "Pepper, no!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Tigerstar spat, although Leopardpaw wasn't sure her sister could here him. "You can't be in love with a _non-Clan_ cat."

The sun was a ball of fire as it sank over the horizon, streaking the sky with pink and casting golden rays on the body of one kittypet who had meant everything to one snow-white apprentice with grey-tipped ears.

And Leopardpaw felt guiltier than she ever had in her life.

**A/N/: =backs away from angry horde of reviewers carrying pitchforks and torches= Let's just hope Pepper wasn't your favourite character...**


	19. Seventeen

**Thanks to xxSnowfirexx, Willowpool, EeveeCelebi749, Moonstreak1, Mira-Mirabella, alleygirl56, yuki-neechan, NewProphecy, icethroat21, and Ryuchie for reviewing!**

**Now for chapter seventeen. I've worked out that there's not going be that much longer of this story left... only two or three more chapters and an epilogue. And this is probably going to be the last chapter from Snowpaw or Leopardpaw's viewpoints.**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: I can't split myself into four, so, let's face it, I don't own Warriors.**

Seventeen

Everything was a blur. It was all falling, falling, falling... and Snowpaw couldn't take it anymore... because he was dead... and it was _her_ fault... but she didn't know... and... and...

"S-Snowpaw?" Leopardpaw took a tentative step towards her sister. "Are... are you...?" She left her question hanging.

"No, I'm _not_alright." Snowpaw's mew was a low hiss. "Why would I be alright?"

Leopardpaw said nothing.

"Leopardpaw, the cat I _love_has just been killed at the claws of my own sister," Snowpaw continued, her mew rising. She lifted her head, and her blue eyes scorched into Leopardpaw's with a strange fire. "Why in _StarClan's name_," her voice rose to a hysterical shriek, "would I be _alright_?"

The black she-cat shrank back from her sister's glare. Snowpaw felt oddly glad that she was scaring Leopardpaw. If she could make her sister feel some tiny portion of the pain she was suffering...

But at that heartbeat, the thundering of strong paws on the hard Twoleg stuff reached Snowpaw's ears. From the sparse trees on the side of the Twolegplace, the lithe shapes of Lionstar and Jayfeather appeared.

Without any form of introduction - not even a 'hello' - Lionstar tackled Leopardpaw to the ground and pinned her down with a sturdy, golden paw.

"Wha-" gasped Leopardpaw, struggling under her leader's firm grasp. Lionstar, however, was unrelenting.

Tigerstar snarled. "Lionstar!"

Lionstar gave a deep growl. "I won't let you take her, Tigerstar. Not like you did to me."

The dark tabby's face contorted with rage. "I was careless with you, Lionstar. Since you thought I was your kin, I didn't think you'd turn against me like you did... like a _traitor_."

"You can't call _me_ a traitor, after all you did in your life!"

"It's over, Lionstar." Tigerstar's mew was dangerously soft. "You can't be a hero this time. She's in too deep."

"She shouldn't ever have been born!" spat Lionstar. "You've _created_ her, and _ruined_ her!"

Jayfeather was surveying the scene quietly, his sightless blue eyes roving over everything. "You killed two kittypets?" His question wasn't directed at any cat in particular.

That was when Snowpaw remembered Pepper. She gave a gasp of agony, turning away from his mangled body.

"That was Leopardpaw," she whispered brokenly. "But what's going on?"

Lionstar turned his head towards Snowpaw. His amber eyes were sympathetic. "You see, Snowpaw, it's very complicated-" he began.

"I'm not a kit!" hissed Snowpaw, suddenly angry. "I can handle whatever you have to tell me!"

Lionstar's eyes hardened slightly. "Alright," he mewed. "Has Tigerstar told you that you're..."

"Reincarnated?" rasped Leopardpaw. "Yes."

"Mmn. Yes. It seems... he's got there before us. Told you the story, I mean," Jayfeather mewed.

"How..." Snowpaw hesitated, trying to keep her thoughts away from Pepper. "How do you know what happened?"

"That's a good question," said Jayfeather. "It started when I met Firestar at the Moonpool. He told me that you two were dead... But there was something odd about the way he said it. I talked to my brother, and he remembered something that happened when he was an apprentice."

"Yes," Lionstar nodded. "Tigerstar was 'training' me to be a better warrior. I didn't realize that he was actually beginning to... possess me."

Snowpaw's eyes widened. "B-but...!"

Jayfeather bowed his head. "Yes, we realized that the behavioural symptoms were the same for Leopardpaw. Loss of appetite... lack of sleep... recurring nightmares..."

Snowpaw glared at Leopardpaw. "You never told me!"

As best as she could, Leopardpaw shrugged. "It didn't seem important."

"It seems we have a more severe case in Leopardpaw's instance," Jayfeather went on.

And, for some reason, that was what cracked Snowpaw.

"Stop it!" she screeched. "_Stop it_!"

Lionstar and Jayfeather looked taken aback.

"You... you're diagnosing her like... like she's got a sickness, or something!"

Lionstar mewed in a gentle voice, "Snowpaw, what you have to understand is-"

"No!" Snowpaw shook her head violently. "_No_! I don't have to understand anything! I just want... I just want to be _normal_!"

Tigerstar took a step towards Lionstar. "It seems that Snowpaw has fully assessed the situation." His mew held a hint of a purr. "And it's true. Leopardpaw is too far in for you to play hero anymore. You escaped me only because my hold on you at that time was mild. But it's too strong this time for Leopardpaw to resist..."

But Tigerstar's voice was fading... Snowpaw was falling again... Lionstar, Jayfeather, Tigerstar, and her sister were all fading out of her line of sight... and now... and now...

***

_"Why hasn't she opened her eyes yet?" Snowkit complained, staring at her small sister, whose eyes were still firmly shut._

_"She will, Snowkit. In her own good time."_

_"But waiting for her is so _boring_! I want to go outside!"_

_"Not until your sister's ready, Snowkit," Moonflower replied, her mew stern._

_Snowkit sighed, and cast a longing glance outside, to where Leopardkit and Patchkit were playing with their father, Adderfang. She wished that Bluekit's 'own time' would be sooner._

***

_"No. No! Bluepaw, what...?"_

_"She... she's dead." Bluepaw's mew was muffled with grief._

_"She can't..." gasped Snowpaw, a pang wrenching at her heart as she saw Moonflower's beautiful silver body. "She just can't be dead! No!"_

_It was a mournful party that proceeded back to camp. Snowpaw hardly heard Pinestar's words about Moonflower's spirit being guided to StarClan. It was too painful... too much..._

_"This time your mousebrained omens have killed one of your Clanmates!"_

_Robinwing's voice tore through Snowpaw's voice as the small warrior directly accused the medicine cat._

_And Snowpaw felt a burning hate._

***

_"Thistleclaw..."_

_"What is it?" Thistleclaw's mew was awash with love - Snowfur could hear it in every syllable. She knew that Bluefur didn't approve of her choice of mate, but what did she care? It was her life, after all._

_"I'm going to have your kits," Snowfur whispered._

_Thistleclaw's eyes lit up. "That's _wonderful_!" he purred. "Are you really?"_

_Snowfur nodded. "They'll be just as brave and powerful as you."_

_"And just as beautiful as you," Thistleclaw replied._

***

_"Snowfur!"_

_The last thing Snowfur heard was Bluefur's alarmed scream. _

_The last thing she saw was the dark pelts of the fleeing ShadowClan warriors._

_The last thing she smelled was the rank odour of the approaching monster._

_The last thing she tasted was blood as the monster flung her onto the ground._

_The last thing she felt was the force of the monster as it slammed into her._

_And the last thing she thought was that Whitekit would be left in Bluefur's care, but without a mother._

_Forever._


	20. Eighteen

**OMG! An update! =collective gasp= I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm _sorry_ for leaving you for this long... I was writing for NaNoWriMo, so Snow Leopard got a little neglected. Forgive me? =puppy dog eyes= On that note, _The Slythindor_ might be being posted soon, so for any of you Harry Potter fans... yeah.**

**Anyhow, thanks to xXStarless NightXx, icethroat21, Jaggedwing-moonstreak, rainpaw3, runningstorm, Moonstreak1, yuki-neechan, alleygirl56, NewProphecy, Jackson, Ryuchie, Polarbear0108, Spottedtalon, stormyheart, and WildCroconaw for reviewing!**

**It's time for chapter eighteen now. Yay! Also, I'm trying to work out whether I should do a sequel to this... Let me know if you think it's a good idea in your reviews! (Hinthintreviewhinthint)**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: I've never written a published Warriors book in my life, so... yeah, but no. I don't own.**

Eighteen

Lionstar's eyes widened as Leopardpaw writhed erratically under his rock-hard grasp. He looked over at Snowpaw, who was suffering the same kind of spasms.

"Jayfeather?" he asked urgently.

Jayfeather closed his already-blind eyes and concentrated hard.

"No!" shrieked Tigerstar, anger twisting his features. "Stop! Now!"

Jayfeather opened his eyes.

"What did you see?" Lionstar mewed, his eyes serious.

"They're..." Jayfeather paused. "They're getting flashbacks of Leopardfoot and Snowfur's lives. But... I don't understand why..."

Lionstar gave a faint gasp. "Tigerstar's possessiveness..." he whispered. "It's taken over their bodies... it's destroying them from the inside out..."

"Cease this at once!" Tigerstar screeched. Snowpaw and Leopardpaw seemed unable to hear him. "I order you!"

Ignoring Tigerstar, Lionstar turned to his brother, who was looking puzzled.

"Do you remember how Tigerstar said that Leopardpaw was too weak to resist him anymore?" Lionstar reminded him. "I don't think even Tigerstar realized the extent of his grip. Strong enough for Snowpaw to also feel the pain... strong enough so that..." He left the sentence hanging.

"Strong enough so that, without realizing, without any of her daily activities feeling altered... that she and Tigerstar are almost one." Jayfeather finished the sentence in a whisper.

The two brothers looked at each other. There was no sound but for Tigerstar's screams. Lionstar had time for a fleeting thought that it was eerie how much Jayfeather almost seemed to be able to see before Jayfeather spoke.

"Do it." His mew was surprisingly even.

"Are you..." Lionstar swallowed, his throat dry. "Are you sure?"

"What choice do you have?"

"We could... we could..." Lionstar sighed. Jayfeather was right. There wasn't an alternative. He was being too much like his late sister, Hollyleaf. And look where that had got her.

He stepped away from Leopardpaw and unsheathed his claws. A moment later he sheathed them again.

"I..." He shut his eyes briefly. "What if...?"

He remembered how he had almost killed Crowfeather, his own father - though he hadn't known that back then - when he was only an apprentice. What if he made it more painful than it had to be?

"Lionstar, you have to!" hissed Jayfeather. "Look at what Tigerstar's controlled her to do!" He waved his tail towards the bodies of the two kittypets.

_No choice, no choice, no choice, no choice..._

Lionstar unsheathed his claws and sank them into Leopardpaw's fur.

There was a yowl of mixed agony and terror from the black apprentice, who shot to her paws at once. Blood was pouring from her throat, and she gasped for breath as her wild eyes found Lionstar's.

But the long-gone red haze, familiar from his apprenticeship, was beginning to hover over Lionstar's eyes. He tried to fight it - he didn't want her death to be painful - but it was so _strong_...

With great difficulty, he sheathed his claws again and wrenched himself away before the bloodlust could truly set in.

"_No_!" yowled Tigerstar and Leopardpaw, both at exactly the same time. Lionstar trembled with fear as the spirit of Tigerstar vanished in a haze of darkness. Leopardpaw's body stopped freely bleeding.

She was dead.

There was a caterwaul from Snowpaw. She was on her feet, every hair on her pelt fluffed out so that she seemed twice her usual size. Her blue eyes were wild with a crazed grief.

"I don't know where her spirit's going," whispered Lionstar solemnly. It was true, he had no idea - could it truly be going to StarClan if it had been controlled mercilessly by Tigerstar? Would StarClan really be that ruthless as to send her to the Dark Forest?

"You..." Snowpaw was shaking with what looked like anger and the insane sadness that Tigerstar had glimpsed in her eyes before. "You murdered my sister. You killed her. I'll... I'll kill you!"

And, without warning, Snowpaw turned, claws unsheathed, and leaped at Lionstar. She landed on Lionstar's back and managed to land a few blows before Lionstar swatted her away with a large paw. Snowpaw rolled over and over - Lionstar feared that he had hurt her, but she got up almost at once and charged at him again.

"Snowpaw!" said Jayfeather loudly, skidding in front of Snowpaw. She stopped.

"Get out of my way," she growled.

"Snowpaw, you've got to calm d-"

"Get out of my way!" screeched Snowpaw in some sort of mad hysteria. She took a swipe at Jayfeather's face, but Jayfeather ducked and the paw missed his head.

Snowpaw was panting hard. Lionstar felt terribly sorry for her - it wasn't her fault that she had been reincarnated, or that her sister had been possessed and then killed before her eyes.

Some of the madness was starting to fade from Snowpaw's eyes now.

"Oh, no..." she murmured, looking scared. She backed away from Jayfeather. "No, no, no, no, _no_..."

"Snowpaw." Jayfeather approached Snowpaw slowly, as though coming within reach of a hungry, cornered, and desperate badger.

"Stay away from me," warned Snowpaw, looking quite terrified. "I don't... trust..."

"It's okay if you don't trust me any more," Lionstar assured her. His eyes dulled as he looked over at Leopardpaw's body. "I don't blame you, after that."

But Snowpaw shook her head. "No... I don't trust... myself."

"What?"

"I..." Snowpaw gulped. "I can't come back to camp."

"What? Why?" Lionstar demanded to know. Snowpaw didn't deserve this - she was a gentle soul whose soft heart had been battered into an unrecognisable shape by the demons of fate.

"What if I do this again?" Her voice got higher and higher. "What if I lose control near the kits, or one of the queens? I'd never forgive myself, Lionstar - never!"

"No, no, you'll be fine," Lionstar tried to convince her. But it seemed that Snowpaw wouldn't be swayed.

"You'll never see me on your territory again," she vowed. "And you'll never see me in Twolegplace. If it wasn't for me..." She looked over at Pepper's motionless form and gulped.

She then turned back to Lionstar and dipped her head.

"It's been an honour serving in ThunderClan, Lionstar," she whispered.

She turned away, tail and head drooping.

And that was the last that Lionstar ever saw of Icecloud's apprentice.

**A/N/: Wow. It's really weird being back on Fanfiction. Weird in a good way, though - I missed you people. And I'm finishing the story soon! Wow... Next chapter will be the epilogue.**


	21. Epilogue

**Thanks to Willowpool, Cinderpaw11, thundercat29r, Emberheart0, xxSnowfirexx, fantasyfinatic, alleygirl56, Moonstreak1, icethroat21, and Spottedtalon for reviewing! Yay! I feel accepted back!! =does happy dance=**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: For the last time in this fanfic, no. No, I don't own Warriors.**

Epilogue

Ivypool padded back into the nursery, her tabby and white belly swollen with her unborn kits. They were due any day now, and the pregnant queen should have been resting - but she still insisted on going out for a walk every day around sunhigh.

"Willowstorm, Mousekit's trying to escape again," Ivypool told the tawny furred she-cat. Willowstorm looked up from her nest, and sighed - that kit caused no end of trouble wherever he went.

She heaved herself to her paws and padded outside. Warm sunlight greeted her, and the height of greenleaf was giving its bounty to ThunderClan.

"Mousekit!" Willowstorm spotted her tawny kit digging furiously at a spot just outside the apprentice den.

"No!" Mousekit started in surprise. "Y-you're not supposed to find out!"

Willowstorm gazed warmly at her only tom kit. "That's what mothers are for."

"Well, mothers are annoying, then." Mousekit's tail drooped. He called inside the sizable hole he had made. "Icekit! Heatherkit! Willowstorm found out, and we're not allowed to play get-out-of-camp now."

"Ohh." A white she-kit and a dark ginger she-kit wriggled their way out of the hole. They gazed up at their mother with wide eyes.

"Willowstorm, what's so bad about going out of camp?" asked Heatherkit innocently, staring at her mother with green eyes. They were so much like her father, Emberfire's, thought Willowstorm.

"Well, you see..." Bumblestripe, passing by, had evidently decided to give his wisdom to Willowstorm's kits. "If you go out of camp, an insane, mad cat called Snowpaw will get you and perhaps even kill you."

The three kits' eyes had gone very round.

"Really?" breathed Mousekit.

"Oh, honestly!" snapped Willowstorm. She wrapped her tail around her kits protectively and glared at the older warrior. "If it's all the same to you, I think that it's time the kits had a nap."

And she hurried her kits, who were complaining and moaning, back into the nursery, feeling very annoyed with Bumblestripe and also feeling the painful twinges of nostalgia... from when she was an apprentice.

***

Night had fallen. Willowstorm was sitting outside the nursery, tail wrapped around her paws, with the stars reflected in her eyes. Her kits were safe, warm, and asleep in the nursery, and Willowstorm finally felt free to delve into her memory.

When Leopardpaw had still been alive, everything had been good. It had taken her moons and moons to get over Leopardpaw's death, and Snowpaw exiling herself because she thought that she would keep losing control...

But, quite frankly, Bumblestripe didn't need to come out with rubbish like that - especially while talking to kits.

_An insane, mad cat called Snowpaw will get you and perhaps even kill you._

Willowstorm quivered with fear slightly for her friend. She wished that Snowpaw could have been a cat that ThunderClan could have been proud of. She had known firsthand what a mild, even tempered cat Snowpaw had been. She had thought, many times, that Snowpaw would have made a good mother... and she'd also known about her own brother's fleeting attraction towards her. Stormflight was Ivypool's mate, now, but Willowstorm had always known...

She felt an ache inside her, a mere echo of how she had felt when Leopardpaw and Snowpaw had been lost. It had only been Emberfire, Icekit, Heatherkit, and Mousekit's father, who had got her through that.

But now she had her kits, and they needed her more than they realised. Kits truly did not understand how much they needed their mothers - and, in fact, how much their mothers needed them.

And, with an almost inaudible sigh, Willowstorm rose to her paws and padded back inside the nursery.

Moons fade away, but cats do not.

* * *

******And so, this slightly (coughcoughVERYcoughcough) sadistic tale draws to a close... it wasn't a happy ending, but such is life. And cats. Never forget the cats. :P**


End file.
